


Mixlings

by MorriganLeFay



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Bondage, Cussing, F/F, F/M, Hate to Love, Hopefully Slow Burn, Horror, Human!Sans, Lovecraftian, Mage Frisk, Mage Original Character, Magic, Romance, So much profanity guys, Violence, We're gunna get kinky eventually, gender neutral frisk, magic shenanigans, monster racism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-07 19:15:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12847722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorriganLeFay/pseuds/MorriganLeFay
Summary: What would happen if mages were still around, hiding in plain sight? This story isn't for the faint of heart, you've been warned.(This story is a culmination of all my interests so you may see references to other games, books or bits of media.)





	1. The beginning of a new adventure

Nails clicked, clicked, clicked on the stone of the balcony as the balmy night air tugged and taunted my hair. Bright eyes glanced down to examine my nails as a twinge of disappointment tugs my insides. My cousin assured me that the manicurist was the best in town, but the polish was already chipped in places.

Not that Catherine had always been a source of good information. "I found this guy and he'd be perf for you!" That was a lovely three months of my life I'd never get back. Or what about the, "I'm on this new diet where I eat nothing but kelp cleanse shakes-!" Even I hadn't been stupid enough to fall for -that- one.

Not for longer than a couple of days, anyways. After the third day the world went a bit sideways and purple-sounding and I'd tossed the kelp cleanses (from hell) and treated myself to some proper fried chicken. 

Purple. Another glance down at my shimmering purple-to-cyan ombre nail work. It was always far too easy to get distracted when one was keeping watch. My eyes flickered past extended fingertips down through the night to watch the street below.

I was on a balcony attached to one of the buildings on the college campus of Ebott. While the building itself was quite safe, everyone had gone home and only vestigal lights remained illuminated, providing me with plenty of shadow to lurk in. The oaks that towered nearby shivered with the gusts that smelled of rain as thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. 

Despite the lightning dancing just out of view I didn't lift my eyes from the illuminated street below my perch, hips shifting as my feet complained bitterly, leather boots creaking softly. I stilled as movement catches my eye, hunkering down and tensing like a cat that has spotted a fat mouse. It had taken only a single night for my 'prey' to show up, a marked improvement from the last one (three weeks in the wet season). Heart thumping as adrenaline filtered into my veins, pupils dilating, a wicked smirk curved my lips. 

Run, little mouse. Run before the storm.  
\-------------------------------------------

The world had heaved and shook with the return of the Monsters. It had been nearly three years since their return to the surface and no one could deny that the ripples of that event had far-reaching effects. The first year had been... rough. Demonstrations, rallies for and against, violence and fear. Some called it the end of days.

Of course, with the benefit of hindsight and perspective I am surprised that things hadn't gone worse than they actually had. Humans hated anything that was different, what was that saying about the nail that stuck... up? Out? (Shit, how did it go?)

Oh well. 

Humans had such a love for fantasy and magic these days that a great number of people were thrilled with the idea that the world wasn't as boring as their everyday lives would have them believe. Mundanity flew out the window and monsters with all their bizzare shapes and customs were welcomed with open arms, eagerly. It had helped that the monsters hadn't held anything back and had been honest and forthright from the beginning. 

Of course people still feared and loathed them three years later, but every week that hate dwindled as monsters became less... monstrous and more, "Hey Ted how you doin? Hows the family, little Susie is about ready to go to college now right?" 

At least, to the regular people.

To the small amount of my kind, the old blood still left in the world monsters were still something to be feared. Not hated, oh no. Not by me and mine at least. Some of the older families hated them, perhaps but the fear kept them from acting on it.

As one of the precious few mages left on Earth, it was hard not to fear the monsters. It would be so easy for them to scent you out, shine the bright light of retribution on the cockroaches lurking in the shadows. Let everyone know that the real monsters had been amongst the humans all along, hiding in plain sight. 

I thought sometimes that perhaps thats exactly what your kind deserved. The Great Families had been fighting for generations for power and prestige with lists of century-old grudges as long as my arm. Sometimes I pretended what it would be like, to give up this twisted chess game that was my life. To run up to the nearest monster, grab their shoulders and scream, "It was us! We stuck you underground for a thousand years, locked you away to wither under rock and stone! It was because of -us- you suffered, we exist and even now our hands are stained."

Then, after all those righteous thoughts danced in my head the next time I saw a monster on the street I'd find a way to (oh so subtly) avoid them as my heart lept into my throat and hammered away. Back to the shadows, tenebrous and cloying. Staining without and within. 

Coward. But at least I owned up to it, right?

I glanced down as the shadows crawled over my arm, a flash of purple and cyan glimmering dully in the dark. I looked up at the sound of heels clicking confidently on pavement. My target was a young woman, almost preternaturally beautiful with thick red hair that fell in mesmerizing ringlets. She flicked her mane over her shoulder as bright peacock-green eyes looked up at the ominous clouds, thunder vibrating through the air in a dull roar that caused me to shiver. 

Her dossier said she was from Ireland, from one of the older families. Clara Moore, but her true name was Clodagh Ó Mordha and her age was listed as 65. She had anglicised her name when she had immigrated over to the USA to further blend in, and looked no older than perhaps 23? With mages, typically the stronger their magic the slower they aged. Such things were further exacerbated by the fact that some mages were adept at 'glamours'. Illusion magic they could slip on like a mask. Sometimes it was subtle, a tweak to a crooked noise or banishing some acne scars. Luckily for me Clara was anything but subtle.

She almost looked photoshopped as she pranced (fuck she -was- prancing wasn't she?) in her stilettos away from the college itself into the city. Skin dewey and blemish free, not a single hair out of place despite the blustery pre-storm wind, her eyes almost a touch too large for her face to further cement her ethereality. I couldn't stop a soft scoff as I wondered what she looked like without her glamour. At least it made her easy to follow, that hair was definitely eyecatching.

Not that I could blame her for wanting to be eye-catching, to be completely frank it was sometimes nice to be appreciated. Other times, especially If you were a mage in hiding, being eye-catching is a bad, bad thing. I utilized glamours on a day-to-day basis, handier than makeup even though it was sometimes just as time consuming. 

At the moment though, I couldn't use my glamour. There was no point, it would simply be a distraction when I needed to be focusing completely at the task at hand. It took only a touch of concentration to keep a glamour up but in more dangerous situations, it's better to just not try.

A hand fluttered to my jacket, touching the coils of conductive wire and the three heavy jewels that rested there. I was all set, the prey was closing in on where I wanted her to be. The streetlight up ahead flickered ominously and Clara's steps faltered. The shadows lengthened and twisted in a deeply unsettling way as another streelight joined in the first's flickering. I watched her shoulders tense, her head tilting towards the alleyway with it's bright illumination. It was the friendliest alleyway in town! 

Except it wasn't. Clara was about to have a bad night in that alleyway. I felt a smile curl my lips as she turned and trotted into the alleyway, the streetlight stopping it's flickering immediately. Looking both ways across the street I followed her as another peal of thunder rumbled the air, the wind picking up to toss my hair as my glamour fizzled away. 

Chocolate skin, silvery hair and-

 

Clara turned, as if sensing me. Her green eyes widened in recognition that quietly pleased me as her painted lips twisted as if she had stepped in something... unpleasant, "Ruby-Eye."

 

I gave a small bow at the acknowledgement as Clara clutched the strap her purse, watching as bright ruby eyes glittered fiercely, "Guilty as charged. You are Clodagh Ó Mordha, yes?" 

 

"I... I," Her eyes flicked from side to side as she took another step back, stalling as you watched her try and find a way out of your trap. Her accent twisted due to her panic, "I 'ave no idea what you're talking aboot." She winced. 

 

"An Irish name for an Irish accent and your hair.... Hmm. I suppose I could always just check your purse..." I reached forward, curling your fingers in towards my palm as the woman tilted her purse-wielding side away from me protectively. Oho, how interesting. 

"Ye've no reason to be botherin' me, witch. I've heard of you, an enforcer aye? A dog for your masters." She sneered, the expression so ugly on such a beautiful face. I could see her glamour dimming faintly, revealing the crowsfeet that touched the corners of her eyes as her hair sagged. 

"Oh my you have been out of touch, haven't you? That is what you get for lingering in the Americas, I guess..." A sneer touched my tone, "Though I suppose it is no surprise for a small minded woman such as you got left behind when everyone of import left." Rile her up, get her so mad she won't want to do anything but pound your skull in. Easier that way.

A scoff, "Doesn't that make you-"

I cut her off with a wave of my hand that causes her to tense, my other hand reaching into my jacket, "Yes yes. I'm still here as well, though the difference between us is..." I pulled the wire free, a diamond-shaped jewel hanging from a loop at the end. It glittered as it swung from the wire before your my twitched, the jewel spinning easily through the air as it gained momentum. Clara watched it in full panic, trembling hands gripping her purse and she jolted as my voice rang out, "The difference is I'm here by choice."

She bolted, stampeding (What? No more prancing?) towards the exit to the road as I gave an internal groan. Why did they -always- run? She'd clearly heard of me, knew at least a bit of my reputation but still she -ran-. I snapped a hand out, the jewel spinning through the air and trailing that wire as I felt a tug from my chest. I knew my soul was reacting as magic pulsed, guiding that jewel through the air like an arrow. Except this arrow could do whatever I wanted it to. It zigzagged through the air, Clara turning and reaching up a hand as a gust of wind was tugged from the alleyway.

She was trying to use the storm's energy as her own, using her magic to pull those gusts to deflect the jewel. The crimson jewel shuddered as the wind tossed it but it deflected instead of giving up all its momentum and righted before zooming onwards relentlessly. It spun around Clara, wrapping her as the jewel spun and glittered. Watching her crash to the ground would have inspired a sympathetic wince but this woman didn't deserve sympathy. 

Her purse caught your eye as it flew and crashed into the brick wall nearby before settling on the ground. Clara tried to caterpillar-crawl towards it and I tsked quietly. Gripping the wire I pulled it taut and channeled my magic, electricity dancing along my fist before shooting down the length of the wire. Clara screamed, thrashing on the ground before going still as I stopped the flow. It was no worse than a human taser, not yet. It could be, oh yes. 

Clara stared up unseeing, eyes unfocused with pain and glittering with tears as she snarled, "Yeh....yeh feckin' GOBSHITE!" I wound the wire around my left fist, keeping it taut as I walked to her slowly. 

"Now now, that isn't very nice Clara. Or do you like Clodagh better?" Switching the wire to my other hand I patted down my pockets, sighing, "Where did I put it...?" Squatting down I pulled a sheaf of papers from my inner pocket. They were a bit crumbled but, "Let's see. Clodagh O-whatever, several counts of assault and tampering with humanity. Improper use of illusion magic, tsk tsk." I clicked my tongue again, glancing at her and giving a forlorn shake of my head. "Oooh, here is the spicy stuff." 

I held out the paper so the winded Irishwoman could see in bold letters, "Wanted for illegal grimoire and magical artifact trading. You've been very naughty, darlin'. Shall we see what is in your purse now?" Dropping the papers on the filthy ground my right hand reached over to grasp the designer purse. It probably cost more than my monthly rent, why were college towns so expen-

And thats the moment I fucked up. I took my eyes off of her and had maybe underestimated her (a bit). Just as my bare fingertips touched the decadent leather I felt the wire go slack. My eyes flicked back to Clara, sparkling with magic as my legs tensed, ready to spring back. Snakes slithered in a mass pile where Clara had been, my boots slipped on the pavement as my mind blue screened with an (in)elegant, "Bwuh!?"

Oh, right, illusion mage. Shit. Tumbling back my ass hit the ground but I was already recovering, right hand planting as I spun to get away get away get away GET- Something sliced through the air just behind me and a puff of cold air hit me between the shoulder blades. Rolling forward I sprang to my feet (like a drunken jackass but I'll deny it to my end of days) and slapped my back as ruby eyes scanned the alleyway. Bitch had sliced my jacket! The purse lifted off the ground as I heard her dash away, a shimmer in the air showing where she was as the snakes faded. 

They had been convincing, surprisingly so. The dossier had said she was primarily a wind mage with a minor illusion focus. Not for even the dozenth time I swore to have a long talk to the person in charge of fact-checking those damned things. Springing after her, I felt the first drops of rain patter onto my head and shoulders as my stride lengthened to a sprint. Lightning flashed in the sky as I chased her through the streets that were thankfully clear of people. Everyone had already taken shelter from what was threatening to be a fierce storm. 

My coworkers at your day job had been yapping about it all day, this supposed storm of the century. The grocery store had been nuts with everyone stocking up bread and water like they were preparing for a siege. I was supposed to have this job over and done with before it started but... A quick glance up said that was -not- going to be the case. 

Clara's form shimmered back into existence as she sprinted, her fancy dress hiked up to better free her legs but alas, stilettos aren't made for running. She stumbled with a loud cry, skidding to a stop in the gravel as I slowed in response, heeled boots sliding in that same patch of gravel. I noticed a pocket-knife that had flown from her hand when she fell. So that was what she had cut the wire with, and my jacket.

I loved that jacket, damnit. Not too heavy, not too light. Do you know how hard it is to- Gah. Focus.

The gravel and concrete had not been kind to her, scrapes marred her skin and her once designer dress was torn and ruined beyond repair. Her foot was twisted in an alarming angle, her ankle already swelling. I watched her wheeze as she clutched her purse to her chest with one hand, the other- I lunged forward, hand reaching out to stop her but it was too late. Her bloodied fingers were already wrapped around the grimoire in her hand, her eyes as wild and unhinged as the storm above.

Shit.

SHIT.

The grimoire glowed an ominous red, the runes etched into the letter pooling with power as it slowly opened in her grip. I had to do something, put a stop to this. You both were in the middle of one of the more popular entertainment districts, towards the end of the street. It was a miracle there was no one outside but I could feel the distant vibration of life all around. Was she insane?! She could be seen by humans, monsters.... everyone! If she went through with this, was seen... it would not only be her head on the chopping block but (more importantly) MINE!

 

"Clara, don't do this! Smuggling grimoires is a minor offense compared to breaking the Concord!" I paused, gritting my teeth before hissing, "CLODAGH!" I looked from side to side, dim shadows of people illuminated the windows of the businesses on each side of the street. How easy it would be for even one of them to turn and see the glowing book-wielding maniac covered in blood as she slowly stood on what I was pretty sure a broken ankle. 

ShitShitShitShitShit- The littany filled my head. A catchy tune for the backdrop of this absolute (FECKIN') disaster. 

The wrong-ness of the magic that was building with an alarming speed pressed in and made my soul shiver in my chest. Cold and harsh, uncaring and alien. As the runes began to glow in ernest I couldn't bring myself to even look at them directly, it made my gut twist and acid bathe the back of my tongue. It was anathema to the magic that simmered in ny blood, pooled in my soul. I could feel the grimoire leeching the warm magic that resided in Clara's soul, emptying her out before filling her up with that wrongness. 

I watched horried as her body bulged and twisted obscenely, her laughter never stopping not even to take a breath. Once bright green eyes went pure obsidian as her bright white teeth were bared as she laughed. And laughed. Manicured nails snapped and broke as she clutched the grimoire tight as fingers grew into claws with way too many joints.

I felt myself grow pale and numb, fingertips growing cold as that familiar adrenaline spiked into pure fight or flight mode. I felt paralyzed, a simple bystander to the horror caused by -my- actions. My fuckup. 

I was responsible for this getting so far out of control.

That thought shook me out of my fear-induced paralysis as I held out a hand, magic condensing into a staff of black metal twisted elegantly and adorned with a large crescent moon of multi-hued metal and jewels. A multi-armed star rested in the apex of the moon, a large sphere resting in the middle that glowed a red as I prepared for battle. Taking several calm breaths I fell into that calm place that felt so familiar, eyes locked on my prey. I could do this.

Though, if I had known I was going to be in battle sometime tonight I would have brought more than the Shooting Stars and the Lunaris Rod. Not that it was a bad setup, it was fine for the sort of work I typically did. I had other weapons, tools in my arsenal of tricks better suited for straight combat.

Usually during battle I felt spoiled by choice, so many spells and tricks to choose from. Thousands of hours of study over my lifetime planted in various uncomfortable wooden chairs learning spells until my ass went numb. But now? My brain was drawing a blank in the face of the horror in front of me. It was like someone had spliced a hardcore dose of Lovecraftian horror into my Sunday morning cartoons. My life had taken a hard left into Fuckthatville that I just wasn't prepared for.

Ok ok, relax. You can do this.

Probably.

What's the worst that could happen?

(A pause, a moment of panicked contemplation)

ShitshitshitshitshitSHITshitshit-!

I spun the staff as I channeled the ferocity of the storm, borrowing some of it's wild energy as I threw out my left hand and let the wire unspool. Glowing words appeared in the air as my lips moved without sound til an orb of chaotic currents formed in front of me. The wire was caught by that huge ball of air that shot out like a cannonball, knocking the crazed woman down the street, finally stopping her insane cackling. 

Her heels caught the pavement as she flew through the air a few feet off the ground, her stiletto heels nicked the ground and were flung off from the momentum. Springing after her (was it still a her?) I gave a mental cheer as I watched her blow through a high hedgerow. Away from the street, away from the streetlights and most importantly away from any bystanders! What was beyond that hedge, though? My mind raced, trying to remember the maps I had glanced at.

I had only been here a few weeks, there was ahh... a park! Yes! See, things were already turning in my favor (if I think that hard enough will it become true?). Leaping through the hedge I watched the sprawled woman slowly rise once more, twisted limbs twitching eerily as if she no longer knew how to use them. Energy, darker than black, coiled around her form as her bloodied wounds went dark. The blood that had marred her skin went inky black and stopped flowing and that above all else unnerved me (not that there wasn't an abundance of things that were currently freaking me out right now if I'm honest). 

Not that the insane cackling hadn't helped. Oh, it had. At least that had stopp-

Clara's mouth opened, neck straining as she began to laugh once more, the grimoire still clutched in both hands. 

Nevermind. 

Also I spoke too soon on that whole, 'turning in my favor' thing.

"Silly little mage, so young s.s.s.s.s.s.s.so... sweet. But n.n.n.not?" A sickly, gurgling rasp filled with stuttering words. The thing that wore Clara like a mask, a costume, let her head roll on her shoulders in a limp fashion. Those obsidian orbs darted independantly of eachother before snapping onto me. "N.nnn..n.n.n.o. A mutt... yeeesss.s.s.s.s.s." Opening it's mouth, tongue lolling and flapping for a moment as the corners of Clara's mouth split to show only shadowstuff that oozed out from the wound. It keened and at first I thought it was pain but no, it was laughing. Again. 

It hiccuped and choked as the storm raged around the pair of us, frothing dark liquid coughed from lipstick-smeared lips, "N.no. Powerful but n.n.n.not pure. Such pride though.... I can smell it like a f.f.f.f.f.fine perfume. It c.c.compliments your power." It spoke the word -power- like some would their drug of choice that they had been long deprived of. 

"Enough of your prattle. I haven't the time to listen to your madness. How about you be a good little voidsent and get back in that stupid book so I can burn it?" Oh man that sounded totally confident, I got this shit.

 

It rocked back and I could see Clara's legbone jut further from her skin though the thing riding her didn't seem to notice at all. Fuck. My stomach churned as I thought about what I knew of the Void and it's... inhabitants. Not a lot admittedly. Enough to know it was one of the few things on the, "Absolutely Don't Fuck With" list. 

It twitched and I focused on it, eyes burning as I bared your teeth at it. Sinking the butt of my staff into the ground I held out a hand and flexed my fingers before tightening around something invisible in the dark. In the storm and with the streetlamps and cheery bar windows a hedge away, the wire was near invisible. Squeezing it, I pulled as the jewels in your staff flared to life, almost as if they were indignant at the presence of such a creature. Knowing what you did of the Lunaris Staff, I was probably right.

The wire, which had looped the once-human as it flew through the air, guided by the tricksome currents of the wind blast, tightened as I drew magic once more from within myself. There would be no holding back this time. As I watched the creature give a confused look down at it's twisted limbs as they snapped together I moved my lips automatically, speaking the words that guided the magic. Lightning raced down that wire, not the faint trickle I had utilized earlier. Oh no, this was the real deal. I didn't let your magic trickle through the glowing words that were written by your very soul at the behest of your lips, I -pushed-.

The pull of magic was surprisingly draining, but perhaps fear was pushing more into this than I strictly needed. I realized though that I -was- afraid. This was way out of my realm of experience. Hopefully I could get all of this under control and wrapped up before anyon-

 

"what the -hell- is this?!" A deep voice spoke from behind and I spun, locks of sodden silvery hair flying as I turned to see a figure surprisingly close. A few inches taller than I, perhaps a bit chubby looking but oddly proportioned. My eyes widened as a strike of lightning illuminated the figure. A skeletal monster in a blue jacket, fur-lined hood half-drawn up to cover it's head from the rain. It's eyesockets were pitch black but adorned with pricks of light that were locked on me, taking in the entire scene. They dimmed to nothing in the three seconds I was once again paralyzed by events slipping out of my control. 

The skele-(fuck) MONSTER'S eyes twisted to look at what had used to be a person. I followed his gaze as the thing twitched, the wires digging into the flesh and further splitting it like overripe fruit. The thing was overflowing the 'vessel' that it had helped itself to, and both the monster and I recoiled. A flicker of movement had me flinching as a tendril of pure shadowstuff sprang from the the thing formerly known as Clara. Not just one, I realized with a shock. Many.

They wrapped around tree branches, slithered along the ground and smeared the wet grass with a sticky ink-like fluid. With a startle I realized several of those tendrils were headed straight for the monster that was still staring. Guess that whole 'Wtf is going on' paralysis was catching. 

My feet slipped on the ground, the storm pouring down rain around this little horror show in miniature as I lunged forward, staff glowing as my free hand reached out. The words for a barrier spell, practiced endlessly, fell from my lips as the shadow-tentacles slammed into it inches from my fingertips. They impacted with a dull thump and I could feel the barrier shuddering under the force of it as my body impacted the monsters, trying to push him back.

And that is when things -officially- went to hell, there was a bright flash of light so blinding it -hurt- before a crack of thunder slammed into the small clearing. I felt pain, vibration, then I lost my grip on reality.

Shit.


	2. In which Sans discovers something new about himself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a tiny touch of sin in this chapter. Sans has a revelation about himself that won't really come to fruition for awhile but isn't it fun to see him suffer? By the way, the staff OC uses is called the Lunaris Rod and it's design comes from a MMORPG called Final Fantasy XIV.

Reality came back into focus with a nauseating lurch. Pain was at the forefront of everything else, muddling my mind and making it hard to focus. What was in pain? It felt like it was everywhere. I struggled to think through that miserable haze as my body demanded attention on a dozen different things at once. 

The main focus of pain, or at least the one that nagged the loudest was in my ears. Lifting a hand to touch them I hissed as my arms movement was halted as something clanged loudly. My eyes shot open to stare at the manacle of pure meteoric iron that wrapped around my wrist, a chain leading from it to the... chair? A worn, paisley armchair in an old fashioned style placed on a slab of steel. The chains were locked to a singular ring welded to the steel.

My arms tugged automatically but I winced as the movement aggravated my wounds. Looking down, I saw that my outfit was... in tatters. My sleeveless white blouse was smeared with mud and ripped, with dark marks at certain... was it burned? My dark pants were relatively intact but still smeared with mud. My jacket was AWOL. Typical. Looking a bit closer I could see some bandages peeking out through the rips in my shirt near my middle. Hm. 

Nice enough to bandage me but not enough to try and change my clothes. That was interesting? I muddled that over, what does that mean exactly? Panic and pain threatened to overwhelm logic as my arms continued to test the manacles, rattling those chains again and again. The room was white-washed and still smelled faintly of paint. It had a few electric lamps in a similar old style to the armchair. In the corner was a table and along the wall a simple, small cot. 

The door looked -depressingly- solid and the quaint if plain room seemed to have no windows. Well, it's the nicest jail cell I'd ever been in, not that I'd been in many. 

Ok, that was a bit of a lie. I'd been in a few.

I leaned back against the paisley and felt something brush my head and turned to look. A lace doily. Perking a brow at that I felt utterly confused. 

Metal rasped on metal and I focused on the door as it began to open, debating on pretending to still be out. They had probably heard the chains rattling, so I doubted that would work. Sighing I leaned back and watched, pain thudding through every nerve ending as I tried to project an air of relaxed stoicism like they had walked in to MY room for a cup of tea. Relaxed and in control.

Got the sinking feeling it didn't really work. (But I tried!)

That plan flew swiftly out the window as a lumbering form walked through the oversized door. White fur, goat-like face and ears and a set of proud, upright horns. Asgore, King of all Monsters was now surveying me silently from his height advantage. I got the feeling he wasn't looking down on me, per se. His crimson eyes were hard, flinty. Behind him a slightly shorter figure stepped inside and stood at attention at his right side.

Tall with a trim figure bordering on muscled and clad in slightly glimmering teal, green and blue scales was a... fish woman. She wore an eyepatch over her left eye, the remaining golden-yellow slitted one was aimed at me. Where Asgore's gaze was cold and closed, hers raged with a passionate chaos. Confusion, anger... perhaps even bloodlust. She swept a hand up and caught her brilliantly scarlet ponytail and pulled it over her shoulder as her head tilted away from me. She seemed uncomfortable, for a moment. But it didn't take long before that yellow eye was once again settled on me. Accusing.

The tension was thick and it seemed no one wanted to be the first to speak. Letting out a breath that startled the two monsters, I spoke without thinking, "May I please have a glass of water?" 

They stared at you for a moment before Asgore heaved a soft breath and nodded to the fish woman. She seemed entirely reluctant to leave but after a look, ducked out of the room grumbling softly before pointing a finger at you and hissing, "You better not doing anything funny, mage!"

I lifted a brow (CALM COOL AND COLLECTED. YUP, THATS ME) at her as she vanished from the room, stomping down the hall before I turned my gaze back at Asgore who spoke softly but with a tone that brooked no argument or lies, "Do you know who I am?"

I nodded before grimacing. No, nodding was a bad idea. (Whoever had placed angry honey badgers in my skull please come collect them) 

"Do you remember what happened?"

Tilting my head I looked up at him, panic rustling through my insides. I could try and deny, but what had happened... what that one skeleton-monster had seen was pretty-

"I'm sorry. One of your people got... entangled by my business." 

Asgore's eyes flared for a moment, lip lifting in a potential snarl, "You mean with the Void-tainted thing? That was your-"

Shaking my head I hiss in panic, chains rattling from the movement, "No! I'm an enforcer, I pick up bounties for people who break the law and-"

"Whose law?!"

Shit.

My mouth shut with a soft click as rubies met rubies, blinking slowly at him just once, "Mage law, The Concords of Ptolemy." 

Asgore stilled except for his chest which rose and fell under his golden armor as if he had run a marathon, his nostrils flaring before he broke eye contact. Looking away he half-turned as the fish woman returned with a glass of water and a... was that a crazy straw? Walking over to me she offered it, her pupils tightening as my hand raised. I took it and offered her a wan smile before looking to Asgore. 

He was lost in his own thoughts and the fish woman looked at mw accusingly for a moment. Sipping the water (ooh it has ice) I heaved a soft sigh, "Now that you know that I don't suppose you'll let me free? You can't keep me here."

"Can't I...?" Asgore crossed his arms over his broad chest, looking down with imperious command that seemed... puddle deep. Was he a king or wasn't he? Frowning, I felt your gut twist.

"You can't, my employers will come looking for me and there isn't anything I can offer you. I've already broken the largest taboo by even telling you the truth-"

"Oh no, little mage. You still have plenty of use to us." Pulling a few objects from his cloak my eyes widened. Your wallet and the sheaf of papers that contained Clara's dossier. He knew I was a mage for certain! Then why had he even asked?! 

My eyes clearly asked the question and the monster king snorted softly, "I had to see if you would lie or not. Considering what Sans said of what he saw-" My mind drifted at those words. Sans? Was that the name of the skeleton monster? I interrupted him without thinking.

"Is he all right?" 

Asgore paused mid-sentence and shared a look with the fish woman, who looked surprised before they both looked back at me as if you had grown a second head. What was with this reaction? My lips twisted in a moue of dissatisfaction, "The skeleton monster is, ahh, this Sans you were talking about right? Is he all right?"

"You and the... -thing- were all struck by lightning. He says you did something, some sort of spell?"

"Barrier." They flinched at the word and I internally cussed at the poor word choice, "Sorry." (Open mouth, insert foot)

The King looked at me for a long moment before speaking, "He is fine. The creature was either blown to pieces or escaped, we only found a leg and some residue."

"Did you find the grimoire...?"

With a tilt of his head Asgore's eyes hardened once more as he shook his head with deadly finality, "Then it's not dead! You need to let me go so I can go stop it. It's my..." My head hung as my arms pulled at the manacles, eyes tightening as I felt tears threaten to pool and fall. (Shit. No. Stay strong.  
You aren't allowed to cry you silly bitch!)

Gritting my teeth till my jaw ached, I looked at the glass of water as ice tinkled almost merrily, "It is my responsability. My fault." 

"We can't."

Surging to my feet, body screaming in protest, magic fluttering under my skin but stopped by that cold iron, "I have to! Can't or won't?!" Watching as a shadow passed over the monster king's face I stared up at him imploringly, "It's my job, my fault it escaped and it will-"

"Eat, devour and kill until it grows powerful enough to open a door to the Void. We know." The fish woman seemed genuinely startled, looking up to Asgore before smoothing her expression and looking to me with a baring of teeth I wouldn't soon describe as a smile. 

"Don't you worry magey, we can handle it!" Her teeth were shark-sharp and I shuddered at the sight. 

"But....!" 

Asgore turned and held the door for the fish woman, "Come, Undyne." He handed her my wallet and the stack of papers. I thrashed in my chains once more before sagging back to the armchair as the door clicked shut. I could hear them locking it, the rasp of metal on metal coming again and again. They were a cautious bunch. (Not that I blame them for it, not after what we mages had done)

Looking down to the manacles I grumbled softly, leaning over carefully to rest the now empty glass on the floor. They weren't going to let me go, he had said you still had a use to them. I sincerely doubted that they would hurt me, it just wasn't in a monster's nature to torture. Not usually, at least. In desperation human and monsters both could be pushed to commit atrocities and I had no desire to give them any excuses to perform any on me.

I'd play nice. 

Sagging against the well-loved armchair I heaved a sigh, just because they wouldn't harm you didn't mean they weren't above making me uncomfortable. It would have been trivial for them to heal my wounds if they cared to. They'd resorted to mundane medical techniques instead and I added that to the pile of things to be pondered. 

Wait, had he said I'd gotten struck by LIGHTNING?!

Holy hell that was kinda awesome. 

Explained the burns on your shirt and why my ears hurt so much. The electricity had conducted too easily through any metal on my body, like earrings or necklaces. Lifting a hand I tugged my blouse and saw bandages on my upper chest where my jewelry had been hanging. Burned, by the feel of it. At least I hadn't been wearing any rings.

But. 

Looking at my cleavage I frowned. My mother had been a busty lady, as had her sisters and mothers and sometimes it felt like I'd gotten a double dose of the 'tig ol biddies' gene. My bra was pretty but sturdy and it felt like the underwire had burned me in quite an uncomfortable spot. I had a feeling the monsters wouldn't have thought to check that spot. Moving my manacled hands you tried to feel for it but while seated in the chair the chains didn't give mw enough reach to sneak my hands up the back of my blouse to reach the clasp at the back. 

Grimacing I think about it for a moment. Here I am, a prisoner of the monsters and battered from a universal middle finger in the shape of a ( feckin') lightning bolt but really all I want to do is get your DAMNED BRA OFF. 

Ahh yes, great numbero uno in the grand plan to escape. Get the feckin' bra off. You'd be out of here in no time.

As I wriggled I could feel the charred lace and bra band dig into those burns and it -hurt-. 

Maybe if I kneeled on the ground in front of the chair? I tried it, slowly kneeling on the hard steel plate. My knees did not like this plan at all but it was a small discomfort in a sea of pain so they could just deal with it for a bit. Using my new reach I tried to reach under the tight blouse to reach the bra strap.

Getting a bra off wasn't always easy on the best of days, but post-thunder-fuck-everything-hurts-days makes it even more of an embuggerance. So difficult I didn't hear the door being unlocked and opening until a strangled noise reached my ears. 

Looking up, the blue-fur-trimmed-jacket-wearing skeleton monster was staring at me with wide... eye lights? In his hands was a tray of what looked like food. His eyelights shifted from my face to my twins, cyan dusting his face as those eyelights snapped back up. 

"Oh hi." A pause, "Have any scissors?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Sans had been given the tray by a quiet and wan Toriel who had mustered only the smallest shadow of a smile for him in thanks. He could tell the food was mundane, human food. Toriel had been given strict instructions (pleaded with over two hours by both Asgore and Undyne quietly in the bedroom) to not add any magic. Magic would heal the mage's wounds and for some reason Asgore didn't want her to feel at top form quite yet.

It rankled him... slightly. He had dramatically less love for mages than he did most humans these days. Three years on the surface, three miserable years of daily fighting for the freedom and rights of monsters had worn away a great deal of his patience and enthusiasm. He had to remind himself that things were getting better all the time and that more humans joined their side every day but...

He had a long memory and desperately wished he didn't.

Thats not to say he didn't have his fair share of human friends. He did, he was always friendly with those he came across but he felt it was a mask. He felt old, weary and cynical and the idea that there were still mages out there felt like a confirmation of all the poison that tiny, cynical voice in his head whispered to him. 

Maybe it was karmatic justice for his lost faith, the universe's way of saying, "Oho you thought things were fucked now? Hold on to your little pink bunny slippers!"

Though, he thought as he walked down the stairs to the basement, closing and locking the door to the main floor behind him. She- the mage had tried to protect him. (I mean, it was probably her fault that the Void-tainted thing had gotten out to begin with!)

///Red eyes dimly glowing in the dark, the way her body moved with urgent grace as her arm extended. That shield of pure magic as she placed her body between him and the Void-demon as the wind roared and tapped down onto his skull in a chaotic rythym.///

A shudder rolled through him at the memory, making his bones clack softly. It had been her and that shield that had protected him from the full force of the lightning strike. That uncomfortable feeling twisted in him again as he looked at the food once more. It wouldn't heal her. nourish yes but not...

Shaking his head he looked up at the large door with it's multitude of locks and clasps, blue flickering in his gaze as he unlocked them all one by one before swinging open the door with a tap of his pink-slippered foot. Taking a step in he looked at the chair before seeing it empty, his gaze traveling down to see the mage kneeling on the floor.

Sans had never really considered humans to be attractive, or at least not in a way that caused any sort of reaction in him. He could admire their aesthetics in the same way some art was pretty or some animals were beautiful. Objective and a bit distant. This felt different. 

The mage he had gotten a close look of earlier but now she was kneeling, her dark pants clinging to her full thighs and hips as she bent forward. Her breasts were straining the front of her sleeveless white blouse, the top few buttons undone so that he could see the full extent of her cleavage wrapped in lace. What was so fascinating though, was the manacles and chains she was struggling against. Holding her tight and stilting her movements. 

He felt something inside him heat and simmer as shock paralyzed him except for a rather ungainly noise that escaped his open mouth. Her eyes flicked up to him, the same ruby red they had been earlier, her thick lashes fluttering once as she took him in. Then, her full lips smiled and she spoke despite the rather awkward situation.

"Oh hi." A pause as she brought her hands slowly forward to rest on her knees, "Have any scissors?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me for any formatting/grammatical awkwardness. This is my first fic and I'm still learning.


	3. Everyone gets oggled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I know I'm dumping a lot of chapters at once and I want to apologize again for any inconsistency in writing style/formatting. Like I said, I'm still learning but I think I got it now.

I was pretty sure this was the skeleton monster that had stumbled on me in the park, and he had just stared at my tits. I didn't know if you should be annoyed or proud that something that seemed to be without flesh was interested in the softer, squishier parts of your own (my twins are legendary quality, ok?). Or was it interest, maybe he was just-

Oh nevermind, he's turning blue. Was that a blush?

"scissors....?" His face was shockingly expressive, his brow lowering as his eyes narrowed in clear suspicion.

Holding up my hands in a show of, 'Hey look I'm (probably) completely harmless ok?' I wince faintly. Had the request sounded suspect? Probably, though I doubted I could single-handedly break free with a pair of scissors. (That would be badass though, not gunna lie.) My face heated slightly as I thought how to phrase the request, "Ehm. I have a wound under my shirt and with the manacles I can't... l-look, could you perhaps bring back that lady fish monster? She could probably help."

The skeleton looked utterly befuddled with a side of high suspicion as he stared down at me, his eyelights widening and narrowing in turns. His fingers (?) gripped the tray as he shuffled from foot to foot, "undyne...? why? to-, err, we bandaged all your wounds. You should be jus' fine mage so sto-"

"It's, ahh..." I interrupted with a slightly bashful expression, "It's somewhere not immediately obvious." I did your best to not phrase that statement as a question and the skeleton (Hadn't Asgore called him 'Sans'?) slowly walked over to the folding card table and placed the tray down on it. His eyelights roamed you, as if looking for these supposed wounds.

Gods, this was a little embarassing. But, I shouldn't feel too bad. Monsters tended to be pretty different than humans and this one was, despite his humanoid shape, the stark opposite of me in fact. He was hard where I was soft, I had flesh when he had none (that I could see).

His clothes were filled out as if he had bulk, but that might just be layers. His hands, shins and neck all seemed to be 100% bone even though it didn't look completely the same as a human skeleton. He seemed to have less of the fiddly little bones (judging by his ankles and wrists) than humans did and his limbs were much thicker.

His eyes narrowed further, eyelights dimming at my frank perusal and I swallowed thickly. Busted. Though to be fair he oggled first.

Not seeing much of a choice, I moved my hands to slowly lift my shirt, fingertips carefully catching the torso strap of the (damnable) bra and moving it. His head tilted, body bending at the waist as he stared at what you were doing. Was that revulsion... curiosity? It was hard to tell, though the grimace as he saw the blistered and bloodied burns was pretty clear though.

"what the hell is that?"

"A burn."

"no, I mean what is that thing? the only burns you had were from metal."

I would have blushed if I hadn't been in so much pain. My free arm pressed to my breasts, pushing them up and out of the way as the skeleton peered at the wound and bra, "Its called a bra, it has a wire that helps push up my-" Breasts sounded too clinical, tits too vulgar, "...cleavage." I finished rather lamely.

He reared back despite your delicate word choice, that cyan that had dusted his face coming back a bit even though that ever-present smirk of his widdened a bit, "so why do you need the scissors?"

My fingertips traveled along the straps of the garment, showing him, "I can't reach the clasps in the back and even if I could the manacles..." The chains rattled in quiet reminder and-

Oh man he went even brighter, his eyelights wandering the cold iron manacles and chains that locked to the steel plate I was resting on. That was odd? My head tilted in silent confusion watching as he stammered and leaned away, "I know you don't have any reason to trust me but this really hurts. You can cut it, or ask someone else just... please."

He looked away as I stared up at him imploringly (activating ultimate puppy dog eyes) and for a moment I saw stark anger limning his face, brightening those lights dancing in his eyes. (Did I say something wrong?) The skeleton spun, the tray-laden card table glowing blue as it lifted a few inches and moved towards me. It settled at my side and the skeleton moved to leave.

Oh, he wasn't going to help? Anger fluttered in my chest, tightening it for a moment, breath catching.

"i will ask undyne to come help you with your, uh..." He stammers softly, half-turning to glance at me over his shoulder before vanishing out the door.

(What is he, a tsundere?)

 

* * *

 

Locking the door behind him, his fingers pushing the final lock home with shakey vehemence before leaning against the door. The dark hallfway was illuminated by his blush as different emotions and thoughts fought for dominion in his head.

First of all.

What the **FUCK** was that?!

Why had he reacted like that to seeing her chained?! He didn't -like- humans, not in that way. Not in the way that made his magic rush through his body in a heated torrent til he thought he'd explode. It had taken all his willpower to stop his left eye from flaring to full brilliance, to hold back that cascade of molten magic.

Gripping the front of his hoodie as his soul fluttered like a bird caught in a cage Sans looked up towards the ceiling, taking long breaths. Breaths that he didn't necessarily -need- but always seemed to help.

Maybe it wasn't the human. Maybe it was the chain-

Nope. No. **Full stop**.

Too weird. Too dangerous to dwell on. This had 'bad time' written all over it. Sans felt like a grade-A pervert, especially since she was... not mage-y. He had always vilified mages in his head, they had been the reason the monsters had been trapped under Mt Ebott. At the behest of normal humans, of course but mages were evil. He couldn't overturn a lifetimes worth of hatred just because she had been momentarily decent.

Not to mention the resets.

Sans flinched at the word, lifting a hand to run over his skull in a dry rasp of bone-on-bone as his lids fell shut with a soft click. It was an act, to get them to lower their guard. He had to be vigilant for the sake of everyone. Paps...

Eyes opening and eyelights flaring he straightened and teleported upstairs, looking over at the cozy livingroom turned war room. Toriel, Asgore, Undyne and Alphys were huddled in there around the fireplace as the storm raged on outside. Their dark figures were limned by the trembling firelight and Sans considered for a moment just walking into the kitchen, finding a bottle of ketchup and just-

_///Ruby eyes looking up at him, glowing with magic. An arm raised as full, painted lips murmured words of power as those eyes looked away. The brilliance of her soul as she pulled magic from it and carved words of glowing power in the air that condensed into a barrier. The crack of lightning, your body thrown against his as the barrier broke with the sound of delicate glass shattering.///_

Sans wavered, body swaying before he turned his pink slippers in the direction of the living room, away from the kitchen. Torial was sitting in a rocking chair, a knitting project of fat off-white yarn resting on her lap, knitting needles motionless as she stared unseeing at the fire. Alphys on the couch, body curled in protectively as Undyne stood guard behind her, a blue-scaled hand resting on Alphys' shoulder. Asgore, standing at the window, hands held at the small of his back and as still as a statue.

On the coffee table was the mage's possessions. Three diamond-shaped garnets with golden hoops at the top, one cracked and burned by lightning. Several spools of incredibly strong wire. A wallet. A small stack of papers. Blackened pieces of jewelry. A cellphone miraculously undamaged.

And perhaps most damning of all, a staff that had been one of the only items untouched by the ferocity of the lightning strike. It gleamed in the firelight, lustrous and elegant.

**Dangerous**. A tool of battle thrumming with magic so strongly he could feel a faint vibration whenever he got close.

Undyne lifted a single, slitted yellow eye as he entered the room. Usually she was loud and boisterous, but tonight she was almost unnervingly subdued, "Hey boneboy. She better have fuckin' behaved for ya." Sans had assured them all that he could handle 'the mage' and that he didn't need backup to drop off a tray.

Waving a hand he rolled his shoulders in a shrug, "she behaved. she has a wound thats kinda hidden and she needs to remove this thing on 'er chest." Undyne lofted a brow in confusion before her lips curved in a smirk as she snorts.

"Wait wait, she asked you to remove her bra?!" Alphys blushed and looked at Undyne in shock as the blue-scaled woman started to laugh quietly. The small yellow dinosaur looked at him as her fingers twisted together.

"H-her underwire m-m-must have-! O-oh.... that m-m-must be painful." Glancing to Asgore and seeing his continued stony silence Alphys' shoulders dipped as anxiety pulsed from her in waves.

"Yes but doesn't she deserve it? I mean, that's why we're leavin' her all wounded aren't we-" Undyne stopped with a jolt as she saw Toriel's eyes on her, the white-furred monster bristling before turning to Asgore as well. The Queen looked ready to start yet another battle in the war of, "Should we heal the Mage?" but stopped.

Knitting needles clacked with renewed, angry vigor. Just another small reminder all was not well in the Dreemurr houshold.

"wheres Paps and the kid...?"

"Both asleep in Frisk's room." Toriel spoke, words clipped before stopping and giving him an apologetic look but Sans knew her anger wasn't with him. Toriel was too kind for her own good, and Sans knew it galled her to leave even an enemy untreated.

_///"There is already too much pain, too much ugliness in this world Asgore! When will enough be -enough-?!"///_

Tori's words echoed in his head, another flash of those glowing rubies coming to him. Running his hand over his skull again he nods, eyelights watching as Undyne left to go grab the first-aid kit and head down to the basement.

Asgore moved then, turning to look at Sans before watching Undyne go. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion as he walked over to the oversized armchair near the fire, sitting down and looking every one of his several-thousand-years, "Sans. Did she say anything else to you..?"

"no. just asked for help with the wound." Asgore looked up at him before running trimmed claws through yellow hair in a distracted fashion.

"She asked about you." Sans felt his eyelights brighten, fingers tightening in his pockets, "It was the second thing she said. I thought she might-" Red eyes flicked up to Sans and then back to the table of the mage's possessions. "I thought she might open up to you."

Why did she -care-? She was a mage, he was just some random monster who stumbled in on-

Oh.

That uneasy twist came back to his insides with a vengeance. He wasn't supposed to be there, to have seen what he did. She had tried to protect him from... her duty? Her fuckup?

Had it been, though? A fuckup? Maybe she was some fucked up void-summoner. But no, that didn't make any sense. Why summon something in the middle of monster-central Ebott's popular downtown in the middle of a storm.

Hatred prickled his insides as he felt his magic surge in anger. Even so! That just made her more dangerous if she was doing shit like that where any one might stumble across her!

Asgore watched him carefully for a moment, "I want you to be my point of contact with the mage."

Oh fuck no.

"You were the one she saw first. I fear I will be too intimidating to get much more information."

Sans' lazy nature was screaming at him to find a way out of this, but the look in Asgore's eyes. This wasn't a request from a friend, this was a command from the King.

"what should I...?" Sans let the question taper off as he stared resignedly at the King.

"Bring her meals, try and get her to talk. You will guard her with Undyne."

"you want me to make -friends- with the mage?"

Asgore startled then, looking guiltily up at Sans for a moment as his claws tangled in those daffodil-yellow locks. Grumbling he worked to extricate himself as Toriel stared at him with a small, evil smirk.

Karma was just -all over- this shit tonight wasn't it?

"N-no! Just..." The king looked down at the floor, lost in thought. Deciding to give him a bone (heheh) Sans rolled his head back and gave a dramatic sigh.

"as you wish, boss man." Sans didn't miss Toriel's glance at him, not understanding that glimmer in the Queen's eye. Sans senses royal plotting and he didn't like it.

Didn't like it at all. His eyelights wandered to the coffee table as Alphys kneeled on the floor, looking at the spools of wire in fascination and murmuring softly. A flick of his fingertips and a flash of blue sent the mage's wallet flying through the air and into his hand. Opening it he pulls out the small credit card-shaped piece of silver. At his touch the surface rippled and information appeared.

A small picture of the mage along with her details. In the picture her hair is in the same ponytail as it is now, braids decorating one side of her head and tipped with sparkling stones. Her long bangs are slightly curled, eyes mischievous and spirited. She wore a tasteful amount of makeup that made her look striking, darkening her eyelids and reddening her lips.

 

 

**League of Enforcers**

**Name**

Fenella Foley

**Affiliation**

House Sinafay

**Age**

55

**Class**

Red 

**Sub Class**

N/A

**Rank**

Platinum - Unlimited

 

 

Sans' eyes widened almost comically at the age listed. No, that can't be right. While he had only been on the surface a few years he'd seen how humans aged. Monsters aged much more slowly and the more magic the slower it happened. He supposed it worked the same for them, idly wondering how old the human that had been corrupted had been.

Red class? He wondered what that means as Alphys stepped close to peer at it, murmuring, "It s-seems to react to your a-a-a-ambient magic." He flipped it, a crest of some sort etched into the back of it. He moved to slip it back into the protective sleeve in the wallet but stopped, hesitating. Glancing up, he checked for any eyes on him and then quietly pocketed the ID. 


	4. Dogs and cats, mages and monsters

Ruby eyes watched as the fish lady, Undyne, packed up the first aid supplies back into the small kit. Picking up the remnants of the bra she whistled softly, "Pretty fancy, don'tcha think?" Blinking in surprise, I opened my mouth to respond but Undyne had already caught herself. Coughing awkwardly she bundled the bra up and looked to the food, "Make sure ya don't waste it! Eat 'n git fat for when we eat'cha."

The laugh held no cruelty and I merely huffed in amusement, watching her leave before turning to the tray. The chain on my right, dominant hand wasn't long enough to fully reach the tray but luckily I could pick up the plates with my left. Pulling off the saran wrap I admired the roasted chicken, steamed vegetables and two fluffy dinner rolls.

Pretty generous fare for a prisoner. Tasting it, I was shocked at how good it was, someone had put actual effort into this. My body needed the calories so I finished every morsel with relish, happy that they had given me a pitcher of water. Finding a small seemingly empty cup I lifted it, two pills rattling inside and marked with the word 'Motrin'. Popping them into my mouth and chasing them with water I gave a happy sigh, mentally thanking the kind soul who had given me that small pharmaceutical mercy.

Stacking the dishes neatly I took a breath, letting fatigue pull my eyelids closed. The food, water and painkillers had done much to help my various aches and pains but knew with certainty that the food was mundane. I had seen that coming, though. They didn't want me too healthy too quickly.

Half-opening my eyes, I peeked at the manacles. I let my wrists give a shake and watched the chains rattle. Cold iron was depressingly effective at muting magic, though it wasn't as simple as just putting a mage or monster near some iron nails. It had to be meteoric iron which was exactly what it sounded like. They wouldn't have been able to fabricate these quickly, meteoric iron was rare and valuable. I had a sickening feeling my lovely new bracelets dated all the way back to the Great War.

Letting my arms slacken to hang over the arms of the chair I slumped, closing my eyes once more. So tired... Even if I managed to undo the cuffs I would still have a locked door between me and freedom. More than one door, with my luck. And some monsters.

No big deal, right?

A pressure in my lower belly made me straighten. Oh no.

No no no.

All that water. Shit.

Not wanting to yell but figuring I didn't have a choice, "Miss fish woman?! Helloooo! I nee-"

"sup?"

I lunged in surprise, legs pressing together in shock as I gasped and flinched. The skeleton was sitting on the cot, one leg crossed over the other. Calm as a cucumber. Looking between him and the still locked door I tried to think if I had heard it open. Closing my mouth with a click and making a strangled noise that caused the skeleton's smirk to widen, I looked back over at him.

Narrowing my eyes, "You 'blinked' into a closed room....?"

"shortcut."

"Riiiight." A pause before realizing yeah I was going to have to ask like a grade-schooler, "I need to go to the bathroom. Could you...?" I waggled my chains and I could have -sworn- the skeleton paled, smirk dimming.

* * *

 

  
Oh hell no.

Fuck, humans are so gross. All those bodily functions and just- **ueerghh**.

"can't you just hold it?"

Her chocolate skin flushed as she glared at him faintly and Sans could feel his smirk returning.

Don't look at the chains, don't look at the chains.

"No! Humans can get ill if they hold it." Her thighs pressed together as a shudder rolled through her and Sans sighed.

"fine. but magey, you do know whats gunna happen if you don't behave, right?" HIs eyelights winked out and he let a bit of his magic slip the reins. Pressure built in the room, a physical and mental tension that signaled danger to anyone magically sensitive enough to feel it.

* * *

 

 

My shoulders sunk as I felt the weight of his power settle on me, as if he had draped you in lead. (Fuck, he was powerful!) My nails dug into the arms of the chair as I took deep breaths. With the manacles I couldn't let out my own aura to soften the blow. Cold sweat prickled my skin as I watched the skeleton stand, walking over to me in lazy, measured steps til he was standing in front of me.

His eye sockets were pitch black, staring at me as that smirk tightened dangerously, "you cause a fuss and yer gunna have a **real bad t i m e**." Each syllable fell like a blow on my shoulders, increasing the weight subtly until I was shaking with the effort not to bow my head.

I hadn't bowed my head to Asgore, nor to my superiors and I certainly wasn't going to to this...this... scruffy little ass! Anger flitted through me, causing my magic to buck and leap for a moment before impotently falling flat. Damned meteoric iron. Fucking manacles.

I still didn't regret trying to save his ungrateful, bony ass.

His eyelights came back and he jerks his head, an abrupt little motion that had my chains unlocking from the steel plate at my feet. He let me sag just a bit more before the aura was slipped back within him. Releasing a breath I let my head sag for a moment, hair falling over my shoulder. The chains floated before tugging me to a standing position and I stared at the skeleton as he smirked. You two were close, closer than I had realized. Before I could examine him he spoke.

"my name is sans. yers is fenella... right?"

Shit!

* * *

 

Oh **stars** , seeing her kneeling submissively and chained had been exciting in a way he didn't want to examine but the fire in her eyes when he had goaded her had been-

Nope. Let's not go there.

Her expression flattened and he felt a little disappointed at the reaction, "You found my League of Enforcers ID didn't you?"

He felt his smile widen and a chuckle roll through his chest as he manipulated the locks and swung the door open. Leading her out and down the hall a bit he opens up the door to the small bathroom, "i assume you don't need me to hold your hand...?"

Her cheeks flushed a bit darker and she glared up at him, "You sure you aren't just looking for excuses to see me with my pants down...? Pretty raunchy for a skeleton." She pressed her lips together, eyes going a bit wide as her sharp tongue got the better of her.

Sans made a face of mild disgust, exaggerating a shudder, "no thanks, magey. remember what i said, yeah?" He nudged her into the bathroom by the chains before letting them drop, snickering as her arms fell under the sudden weight. As she spun to snark at him some more, he shut the door in her face, "honestly, you humans are **un-pee-lievably** gross."

* * *

 

 

I spun to get the last word in, only to get a door slammed in my face and... was that a fucking -pun-?! Growling quietly I turned and looked at the bathroom. A surprisingly large shower rested at the back, looking like a fairy recent addition. It took up the whole back wall of the bathroom. It was high too, that was so odd. Looked straight out of a hotel.

Doing my business I was slightly afraid the skeleton would blink in to further harrass, so it was probably the fastest piss of my life. I desperately wanted a shower but didn't feel up to negotiating for one at the moment and no cleans clothes to change into. Opening the bathroom door the eyelights of the skele-err, Sans lift. The chains glowed as he once again led me back down the hall.

He had removed the tray, and the armchair had been placed against the wall and the cot moved towards the steel plate. The chains dragged me back to the steel plate, the locks returning into place as I sat down as elegantly as I could on the cot. I didn't fight the directions, I didn't see the point in aggravating your captors.

Plus I got the feeling Sans would enjoy it too much.

"see? it's almost like a mage habitat." Walking to the bare corner he raises his arms, "mebbe we should get one of those exercise wheels like they have for hamsters?" I could see one of his eyelights focusing on me from the corner of his eye.

He was trying to -rile- you.

Lofting a brow as if to say, 'Really?' I hum and lean back on my hand as I looked over at the free space, "They have those, you know."

His eyes widened a bit, clearly imagining a human-sized hamster wheel.

"They are called treadmills."

His expression flattened a bit, smirk straining as he huffed a soft satirical laugh, "haha magey."

One point for me, one for the skeleton.

"So you have all my possessions then....?" My fingers rubbed at the sheets, eyes sliding away from him as I took a slow breath. Tread carefully here.

His gaze was instantly suspicious as his arms lowered, looking at you carefully for any signs of duplicity.

"I only ask that you take care of the staff. I worked hard for it." His brow lifted in mirror of your earlier expression and I gave a soft huff, drawing my boots off and curling my legs on the cot, "I won it."

"sounds like a story."

I smiled, running my fingertips through my tangled hair, "It's a really good one too. Filled with adventure and peril but..." I waved my hand and looked away, "I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear it. After all it involves mages."

Shadows crossed over me and I looked up to see Sans had moved closer, eyelights flickering in an interested sparkle, "Oho? You're interested?" His cheeks went cyan and he looked away, gritting his teeth as you saw his jaw flex. I idly wondered what his bones felt like, his face seemed so malleable.

"i suppose. let's hear it then."

"Mmmnh. I might be up for it tomorrow in exchange for a shower." He opened his mouth to reply and stopped as I went on, "With no manacles." His eyelights flickered out for several tension-filled heartbeats of silence before he grimaced.

"i'll discuss it with the boss."

"Please do keep in mind I've been compliant." (So far) I looked at him, fingers tightening in the sheets as I took a shuddering breath, pain lacing my sides as my breasts heaved. Those burns really feckin' hurt!

"only because it currently suits yer best interests to be." My head snapped up at those cold words as Sans looked down at me, "what happens when ya decide thats no longer the case? to us?" Anger and resignation coiled within me at his words. I had tried to save him, he had been the one-

I took another deep breath despite my various wounds begging to please knock that shit off, eyes closing. Flopping back onto the cot, fatigue washing over you and mingling with the other negative emotions currently weighing you down, "If that is what you want to believe there isn't much I can do to dissuade you."

* * *

 

Sans leaned back in satisfaction, looking at the curve of her body as she rolled onto her back away from him. What happened to her spark? This side of her, resigned and almost forlorn, didn't suit her he decided. His teeth clicked in irritation as he stepped through the void to the hallway. Hefting the tray he took it back upstairs to report to Asgore once more.

That whole shower thing was going to be a fun discussion, he could already tell.

 

* * *

 

  
Sleep was sporadic, I almost felt as though I had a fever. Waking up blearily to blink around the dark, unfamiliar room a few times before letting my heavy lids slide closed once more. The chains didn't leave a lot of room to get comfortable, and Sans' cold words filtered through whenever I let my guard down.

Hearing a soft noise I opened my eyes. The room was hazy, dreamlike as a small figure stood next to me. It didn't feel threatening and I realized it was a young child. Their features were obscured by heavy shadow but from what I could see their expression was curious.

Tanned skin, hand-knitted sweater, soft PJ pants with little frolicking Scottie dogs (cuuuute). I glanced back up to their face and saw with some mild amusement, "Kid, what mischief did you get into that made your parents give you a BOWL cut?"

I felt the kid's humor at my words, though the dark slash of their mouth didn't move. They reached out and patted my head gently, causing my eyes to close with a soft sigh. Were they trying to comfort me?

"Kid, am I dreaming...?"

_**Are you?** _

"I could dream of worse things, I guess, than cute kids in Scottie dog PJs."

**_Who are you?_ **

"Fenella."

**_What are you?_ **

"Me." You could feel their sleepy amusement and everything melted away as the scent of butterscotch tickled my nose.

 


	5. Naked karaoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's get naked! Touch of sin, nothing too explicit.

"He wants me to -sing-?" Surprise colored my words as I watched the clearly miserable skeleton hold my tray. He seemed completely baffled and I scoffed quietly. He had brought me a lovely breakfast of waffles, maple syrup and sliced fruit with a cup of some of the best coffee I'd ever had in my life.

If this wasn't a prison I might have signed up for a week stay, it outshone a few bed and breakfasts I'd stayed at in the past.

"he said something about ancient mages doing that before the great war to signal that they came in peace."

"Yeah, I know of it." I felt unpleasantly greasy and gritty, and even the motion of crossing my legs felt horribly unpleasant, "Basically, singing takes a fair amount of brain power as well as occupies your mouth. A mage can't cast spells AND sing so when clans of mages would meet they would sing as they came close to show that they meant no harm. Mage moot singing is still a thing." Sans glanced at my mouth as I mentioned it, watching for a moment before his eyelights flicked back up to my eyes.

He seemed hesitant and almost skittish, "Was that all he requested...?"

"i have to supervise." A grimace rolled through him as if the thought disgusted him and just a -tiny- twinge of anger rolled through me. One of the few things I took pride in was my looks, I worked hard to keep myself in shape and looking nice. I was by no means a narcissist but, come on. He should be so lucky to see me naked!

He must have seen the anger on my face and smirked at me, "you want me to watch ya shower? my my, i didn't know ya wanted to jump my bones so badly."

"You fuckin' WISH skele-boy." I felt my cheeks heat a bit and rubbed them with an idle hand before stilling the motion. Taking the last dregs of coffee I stood and tried to place the cup on the tray. The chains stopped me short and a growl ran through me before I could stop it.

"now whos the raunchy one, magey?" He cackled, the cup turning blue and lifting itself onto the tray as he took it away, "i'll be back. jus' hold on fer a bit."

* * *

 

"So you've got the hidden mics set up, right darling?" Undyne looked down at the love of her life as Alphys sat in the guest bedroom upstairs with two laptops. One had two feeds coming in from the cell room and the hallway. On the other laptop was the compiled information the shy scientist and Sans had already gathered about the mage and her items.

"Y-yeah, though I f-feel bad y-y-you know?" Alphys looked up at Undyne with bright eyes even as her fingers tapped away on the keyboard of the laptop, "This feels l-like an invasion of privacy."

"I know, my smoochie. We don't have a choice though, and we didn't put any cameras in the bathroom! Stupid mage is lucky she even has that little bit of privacy." Undyne looked down as Sans led the mage down the hall, holding her chains with his magic. It looked like they were bickering and Undyne snickered.

Sans had pitched a fit when Asgore had told him he wanted the mage to -sing in the shower-. How funny can you get?! Sans had flushed blue from his head all the way down to his pink slippers, furious and embarressed. Asgore hadn't seen any problem with it, even when Sans had insisted Undyne do it since she was a girl.

"Undyne!" A yellow eye slid over to Alphys, as if the small monster could sense her less-than-respectful thoughts.

"Yeah yeah, sorry smoochie."

* * *

 

"Could you at least turn around when I get undressed?" The mage was blushing now, and not even her chocolate skin could fully conceal the red that simmered there. There was only a few inches height between them but Sans took full advantage of them to stare down at her as he unlocked the cuffs. As they fell away the mage rubbed the skin of her wrists with a faint wince.

He was on guard then, waiting for her to spring into action and try and hurt him. His eyelights flickered out as he tensed, stilling completely. Time trickled on and she merely continued to rub her wrists. She glanced up and saw his expression and winced, "Really?" She sounded almost hurt and his insides twisted, magic moving uncomfortably in reaction to his emotions.

She huffed at him in irritation as she started to pick off the various bandages she wore, her hands sliding up her shirt to pick off the ones that had lain under her...

Sans half-turned away, not trusting her an inch but he felt his magic start to heat at the sight of her. He wasn't a human-fucker, or so he told himself. Repeatedly. Ruby eyes glanced at him before she turned her back and walked to the shower, turning it on.

"I don't suppose he had any requests?"

"huh?" Her words startled him out of his dark thoughts, eyelights barely flickering at her as she pulled off her pants.

"On what he wants me to sing?"

**Hah.**

For an evil mage she was kinda funny. Sometimes. "i don't think he cares magey, what makes you think he's gunna listen."

"Ohh, well then I suppose I should be asking you." A pause, a smirk at him over her bare shoulder, "But I won't."

"yer breakin' my heart." He clutched his hoodie over his chest as he leaned back.

"Yeah I can tell." She stepped into the shower, closing the door behind her. The glass began to fog up, slightly obscuring her form as he waited. Just when he was about to snap at her to start singing, she began. Well, first she hummed a bit to get into the rhythm of the song.

To his surprise her voice wasn't that bad, and though he didn't immediately recognize the song it sounded vaguely familiar.

"Wanna see you whip it, sure could treat you right. Give me just a minute of your time tonight." Her hips started to sway in time to the music as she hefted a bottle of shampoo. Her voice at first was unenthusiastic but the song was clearly a playful one and soon she got into it a bit.

Fuck. Magey, stop bein' cute.

 

* * *

 

  
Undyne and Alphys listened, the door to the hall firmly shut so that Frisk couldn't hear the goings on. The kid was already highly suspicious bordering on anxious by how tense everyone else was in the house. Cept Pap. Pap was eternally Pap.

As the mage's song filtered through the tinny speakers of the laptop Alphys spoke in silent question, "Wait, isn't t-that from Pitch Perfect?"

"From what?"

"That m-movie we watched a few weeks ago." A pause then a smile, "The one w-where the human lady threw u-up?"

"Oh right!"

A few more moments of silence as they listened.

"You know she's actually not bad? I wonder why this song."

"We have the natural feeling, obviously revealing. Let me be your paper man, I'd love to be your joker man."

The pair shared a look, Undyne smirking faintly, "Is she teasin' Sans?"

* * *

 

And it may have worked, had Sans not been staring at the human's backside. (They jiggle there too?!) He felt like he should have been forwarned. Why had no one mentioned that humans... jiggled and bounced like that?! It took him completely off guard, and he could feel his magic bubbling to the surface to paint his face a bright blue.

He had to put an end to this, he could feel his soul jumping left and right in his ribcage and he had to glance away from the spectacle to make sure that the glow wasn't visible through his hoodie. No? Thank the **STARS**.

Her voice fell off as she finished her song, and he watched her take a few breaths before burying her head under the stream of hot water as she washed the suds from her long hair. It spilled down her back to her round rear, shockingly long but Undyne had long hair too, didn't she? He'd never really taken notice before.

Humans all tended to look alike to him, though now that he had a moment to properly (uhh) examine her she seemed a bit unusual. He'd seen humans with yellow hair (they called it blonde didn't they?) and white hair (usually the older humans) but the mage's was an off-white. Like old parchment but he saw it almost looked white all wet like that.

She'd been quiet for awhile, "keep singin' magey." Her head lifted and she turned and looked at him and he could have sworn her eyes glowed faintly as she just -looked- at him for a long heartbeat as she swept her hand over sodden locks. Her ears-

Then she began to sing again as she lathered up her hands with a bar of soap, "Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination. Take a look..."

* * *

 

I stepped out of the shower feeling so much better, even the singing had helped my mood a bit. The embarrassment had faded eventually, though sometimes it had felt like I could feel his stares sweeping across my skin like a physical touch. Yet every time I looked back he had his head tilted away. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I was older than I looked, but in all my years I hadn't showered with anyone watching me.

Wrapping a towel around myself with a sigh, my gaze avoided the skeleton for a moment before a quick glance told me he was staring at my... ears? Lifting a brow, my eyes widened as I quickly hefted another towel and brought it up to towel off my hair, covering my ears. Last thing I wanted them to be thinking about was the differences between mages and mundanes.

My body felt good, even without being able to use a healing spell my magic had suffused my body after being constrained for a day. The magic had knitted the worst of the wounds and almost gotten rid of all the scrapes and general soreness. A movement caught my attention as I glanced over to Sans who was offering a pile of clothes.

Picking up the first object to reveal a shirt that said, 'Bone Daddy', "Oh come on... are you serious?"

He smirked at me, brows lifting in humor as he leaned back against the bathroom door. The message was clear. Matching his smirk I tugged on the towel and it fell. His eyelights widened, bones going a deep navy as he looked down at my body and made a deep thrumming noise before choking.

"I'm so sorry you have to suffer seeing something so disgusting." I let the last word roll through my mouth as I slipped on the clothes. The 'Bone Daddy' shirt, soft PJ pants and a pair of socks. He made another ungainly noise at seeing the full ensemble, shoulders thumping the bathroom door as his head clacked against it as he snapped his head to the side.

"Aren't you going to take me back to my cell now?" I held out my hands, waiting for the now frantically blushing skeleton to put on the cuffs. He seemed to still at that.

* * *

 

Oh no.

Oh **FUCK**.

He couldn't. Those chains already caused shit to happen in him that left him confused, he felt a burning excitement coil through him at the actually being the one to bind her. Thoughts bounced through him, chaotic and not at all helped by the fact his magic was raging.

Was it because she was a mage? The idea of binding one of the people involved in locking them below the mountain, subjugating her...

**Making her kneel**.

Was that why?! It was a confusing thought, he wasn't a vengeful person. He was the epitome of sloth, not really willing to raise a hand voluntarily until he had to but this...

No seriously, all that **jiggling** seemed COMPLETELY unnecessary!

Why was seeing her naked so...?! **He wasn't a human-fucker**!

The monsters had been debriefed on human anatomy when they had exited the mountain but those had been clinical and cold drawn figures in an info packet given to all monsters.

To see one in the flesh felt so fucking different.

Seeing her waiting, lips pouting in confusion, he lifted the manacles with his magic before taking hold of one. He would not make this weird, he wouldn't be a fuckin' pervert about this. Just focus on doing the job!

Why did she look so soft?

Why did seeing her in his shirt do funny things to his soul?

He **hated** her for it.

Stop makin' me feel, magey.

* * *

 

Maybe I had gone too far, his fingers were trembling as he locked the manacles around my wrists one at a time. Each time they could click shut he'd still and pause for several seconds. His magic hefted the chains as he dragged my back to my cell much more brusquely than he had before. His eyelights wouldn't touch me as he tossed me in, chains sliding me across the floor (woo socks) and shut the door without a word as the chains locked to the steel plate.

I listened to the door clasp shut, blinking in surprise. Ok, maybe I really had gone too far. That had been embarrassing for me, too! Still, I'd gotten him back for his sneering.

Right?


	6. Storyteller

Undyne had taken over bringing my meals for the next two days and I was surprised to find she was fun to talk with when she wasn't threatening to kill me. Not that we talked long, but even a few moments of conversation here and there were cherished in comparison to the numbing boredom.

Sans showed up once a day to supervise the showers. The first after I had teased him had been... tense. I dialed my teasing back a bit, mostly because I was pretty sure I had made my point. Despite the meteoric iron's interference I could feel the tension from his magic.

All monsters emanated their feelings subtly when in the company of others, or so I've heard. It added a second layer to their conversations that most humans just couldn't achieve (it helped more with monsters that didn't have traditional humanoid features to express themselves with). They could choose to hide their emotions, of course, but it took practice. The stronger the emotion, the more likely it would leak.

The poor skeleton felt conflicted and angry around me, and I couldn't blame him (much, he had started it!). Though it was hard to tell if it was because he'd oggled a human (and liked it judging by the blush) or if it was because a mage had tried to save his life.

Hell, maybe the blushing was just because monsters didn't naked willy nilly like that and it was a cultural faux pas? (Fuck, why am I overthinking this? Just stop.)

It wasn't as if I had a lot to keep my mind busy. Right now I was putting tiny braids into my hair like I would normally. I was missing my usual jeweled clasps so I used thread pulled from the sheets to tie them off. When I was finished my hair was in a ponytail with the left side of my head braided with half tangled up in the ponytail and the rest hanging down.

Exotic. Too exotic. I itched to put on my glamour but even that tiny bit of magic refused to happen. Hearing the locks on the door rasp I looked up from my position on the cot. Wouldn't be Sans, he just blink'd in.

Asgore walked through once more, followed by both Undyne and Sans (ok so I was partially wrong) though the latter leaned up against the door frame. Looking up at the trio I smirked faintly, resting my chin on my palm, "All three at once? You should have given me some warning. I would have made myself more presentable, maybe made some tea." My confidence had returned when I stopped feeling so utterly shitty (hit by lightning 1/10, would not recommend)

Undyne rolled her eyes with a soft growl and Sans scoffed. Asgore canted his head faintly and looked down at me. He didn't take offense to my sarcasm though and moved the paisley armchair over in front of the cot and sat down. He looked far too big to be comfortable but he perched in it almost delicately, "I take it from your wit you've recovered a bit more from the lightning strike and battle?"

"With or without magical food or healing us mages heal pretty fast. You already knew that though, didn't you?" Asgore merely tilted his head in acknowledgement and I felt a touch of anger coil in me.

"Sans has told me you had a story involving that staff upstairs, would you let me hear it as well?"

I looked to Sans who wouldn't meet my gaze, was he feeling guilty? I had already known both he and Undyne would report even a sneeze to Asgore right away. With an aggrieved sigh, "You know King Asgore, I have been sitting here debating on how much I would ever divulge about mages. The more I say, the more likely I won't survive once my people come for me. Surely you are cognizant of that fact, yes?"

The goat monster's crimson eyes went hard and flinty once more, a familiar expression as his legs crossed, "Of course."

"You are at peace with it?" He simply stared at me. He would do anything to protect his people. _Sacrifice_ anything. I wanted to be angry at him, I wanted to scream and cry. What would I do in his position though?

"I have always been sympathetic to monsters, my house is one of the more peaceful ones. If mages are to make war it is most likely between them and not-" Seeing the hardened, angry expressions on all three of them I sighed softly.

"You wanted to hear the story of the Lunaris Rod? Here it is then..." I began to speak, telling them of the tournament. Held every ten years, it was a competition between mages held by a mysterious figure called "The Collector". It was a grand festival of food, delights and drinking over seven days of trials. Even the lower class of mages could rub elbows with the high and mighty at the Tournament of Alphard.

The top three winners of said trial would be able to borrow an item from The Collector's armory for ten years until the next tournament. All of the items were precious, one of a kind magical artifacts and it was an honor to bear one. Winning one of the top three spots was sometimes enough to tip the balance of power in the war between houses so it was always a spectacular affair.

If the owner of one of The Collector's items died the item would vanish back to the armory automatically, so it wasn't much use to try and kill them for it. Plus, the person had just won a trial against hundreds, perhaps thousands of other participants. (It was a dumb idea to fuck with a trial winner.)

Undyne looked riveted by the tale of derring-do and adventure. Asgore was cold and implacable but there was a tiny glimmer in his eyes. Undyne leaned forward excitedly from her spot on the floor next to Asgore, "So what did you do about Dumont?!"

Ahh yes, the Frenchman had been quite a thorn in my side for the entire trial. He had been a mesmer of some power with a family tree dating all the way back to Merlin, supposedly. The idea that a 'mongrel' such as myself had gotten so far in the trials seemed to be a personal insult to him.

I glanced down at my chipped nail lacquer, waggling them faintly as a smirk curved my lips, "What do you think I did? I set a trap. We were in a puzzle maze with a series of books that would teleport you forward or backwards depending on if you solved puzzle. He had been doggedly following me through the maze so I lured him to the same room as I was in, waited til he finished the puzzle then strung him up with wire and stole the puzzle book. By the time he untangled himself he realized he could only go backwards since I had taken that room's book with me."

I shrugged softly, remembering the Frenchman's slurred insults and frothing rage as I had used his hard work to take the lead, "He -may- have gotten third place if I hadn't have caught him there."

"What'sa mesmer?" Undyne tilted her head, her expressive head-fins flicking back and forth. To everyone's surprise it was Asgore who answered.

"It's a mage who specializes in illusions and trickery."

I hesitated for a moment and then nodded slowly, "Most make their money hosting parties. I once saw a mesmer create a parade of fantastical animals complete with orchestra of animals in fancy suits and fireworks."

"can you do things like that?" Sans' voice came from the still-open doorway. That felt like a taunt.. or perhaps a test? To see if I'd focus on potential freedom instead of playing nice. These guys could be surprisingly twisted when they wanted to be.

"No, you saw my classification on my ID right? I'm what you call a Red mage." I waved a hand as I stretched a bit, twisting my torso back and forth until my spine popped, "There are as many mage types as there are stars in the sky." I pondered briefly the danger of explaining this to them, but it seemed Asgore already had a good chunk of this knowledge already.

"There are Black Mages, Red Mages, White Mages, Summoners, Mesmers and Specialists." Holding up a finger I stopped Undyne, "The color doesn't represent the color of their soul. Black mages are focused towards destructive magic. White mages are healers. Summoners are mages who summon spirits to help them, but can sometimes be damaging or healing. Mesmers are illusion mages. Specialists is a sort of catch-all group for the more rare, esoteric forms of magic."

"and red mages...?"

"We're jack of all trades. I can heal and use destructive elemental-based magic as well as various tools. We're...." I paused before sighing softly, "We're also the only mages besides Specialists who devote any time to learning martial weaponry." Technically I had the subclass of Specialist but no one knew that and hopefully no one ever would.

"Specialists tend be sorta weird. I knew a mage who used a bow and they formed these arrows of light with their soul powerful enough to punch through steel but couldn't even perform the simplest of cantrips." The trio of monsters looked contemplative as they absorbed the information. I felt a touch of guilt for having given out any information at all but still... this was pretty harmless right? (Right?)

The conversation wrapped up at that point, with Undyne asking a few more rather harmless questions about the Tournament of Alphard. What it was like (exciting, dangerous, good food) and where it was held (which gave me pause but I told them the truth, the location changed every time and notice sent out only a week in advance) are you really 55 (yes I am thank you VERY much).

As Asgore stood to leave I paused before taking a breath, "King Asgore." He looked at me curiously, head tilting to show he was listening, "May I have a book or two to keep occupied with?"

He canted his head faintly before nodding and looking over to Undyne and Sans before leaving. The door shut behind them, leaving me to my solitude once more.

* * *

 

(Magey had said a lot of interestin' things, hadn't she?) The world she lived in was clearly dangerous, lurking in the shadows of the mundane world. It shook him slightly to know that there was so much out there they hadn't even had a -clue- about. Galling. Asgore left to go speak to Toriel, enterting her bedroom quietly and shutting the door. He and Undyne headed to the guest bedroom where Alphys had the mage's cellphone hooked up to a laptop.

"Find anythin', smoochie?" Alphys jumped almost guiltily before nodding, turning her eyes back to the screen. The glow from the laptop caused her eyes to sparkle as she spoke with fascination.

"It seems the mages have changed their cellphones with magic just as we have. It looks like a typical mundane phone but when touched by someone with magic it unlocks a w-whole bunch of features!" Her stutter was barely perceptable when she was so focused on something she was passionate about, "There's a whole bunch of documents in here regarding her job. I'm still trying to crack into the stored emails but it's encrypted magically. I'll find a way t-through. I n-neutered the connection so it can't send out any kind of signal. I'm afraid it was p-permanent t-though."

The small yellow monster looked up sheepishly, suddenly anxious, "Y... you don't think Asgore'll be mad about t-t-that do y-you?" Undyne wrapped her in a hug so strong there was a squeak of surprise.

"Of course not baby! Don' you worry 'bout it."

Unhooking the cellphone, Alphys placed it on the bed before looking back to the laptop, "I'm emulating t-the whole cellphone on my l-laptop so I don't need it anymore."

"mind if I look at it?" Alphys glanced up at Sans in surprise as the skeleton hefted the phone, bone sliding too slickly over the screen. Nothing happened. Giving an internal sigh he let some of his magic spill out to form a semi-transluscent thumb-tip over his bone. This time when he tried to wake it it worked easily.

"S-sure? You can take i-it with you, if you want." Alphys and Undyne traded a look, unnoticed by Sans as he sat down next to the bed to browse through the phone as he slouched lazily. All this nonsense had taken a toll on him and he felt exhausted. At least he hadn't had to go to his job for the past few days.

Nothing like having to give your boss a note from the King of all Monsters saying Sans needed time off for official ambassadorial buisiness. The look on your human boss' face had been pretty satisfying though.

Flicking through the pictures on the phone he frowned, realizing some looked like they came from crime scenes like in human television, "what're these?"

Alphys frowned faintly as Sans turned to show the screen to her and Undyne, "I saw those. The ID indicated that she works at some place that enforces the law? F-from what I can tell though i-it seems more like sh-shes a mercenary versus official l-law enforcement." The monster pulled up documents that had been stored. They showed case numbers but also receipts showing how much she got paid per job.

Undyne whistled softly, "She got $35,000 for findin' a smuggler? Where do I sign up?"

"S-seems like she takes one or two jobs a month. I'm finding files about a-apartments all over the place. S-she follows where the jobs take her."

"The stuff we got about that Clara person said she was worth 20k, right? Somethin' about a bonus due to 'hazard'."

"Do you t-think that was about the v-v-" Alphys swallowed thickly, covering her mouth as she trembled subtly. The word refused to come out.

"no, i doubt it." Sans looked down at the phone, having stopped on a picture of the mage (Fenella was her name, right?) cheek to cheek with another woman at some sort of party, arns around each other's shoulders, "i bet it was because it was in ebott. monster capital."

The pair looked at him for several long heartbeats as Undyne rubbed Alphys' back in soothing circles.

 

* * *

 

Sans found himself back in his room (his borrowed room at Tori's place at least). There was another bed in the room where Paps slept peacefully, curled up into a snoring ball in his spaghetti-themed sleepwear. Sans smiled at him gently before pulling out a set of headphones and plugging them into the phone.

The mage had a few videos showing small glimpses to places she had been in the past year or so. A breakfast on a busy road in a busy metropolis on the water. A museum filled with silent but bright eyed tourists looking at various pieces of art, their steps echoing loudly on the marble floor. Snowy landscape passing quickly by, a shot out some kind of car or train, over a large building with bright red angular stuctures. A sunny beach at sunset with the waves lapping at her feet, toes wriggling in the sand.

Each a perfect glimpse into her life. It felt dangerous, it brought back that uncomfortable twisting in his magic. Guilt. Switching over to her music player he picked a song at random, resting the phone on his chest as he listened, headphones vibrating just a bit against his skull.

 **Why are you so dangerous** , magey?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alphard is the brightest star in the constellation of Hydra. Also people may recognize a few terms in this chapter! Yes I used ye olde Final Fantasy classes (or a few of them at least). I just figured it would be easiest for most to understand. Better than, 'these are the pewpew mages that makes the peoples fall down and these are the bandaid mages that makes the people stands up again! cept not in the evil way, those are the necro-wut-sits!'


	7. Dreamcatcher

The kid visited my dreams again on the fourth night, or was it the fifth? They were already starting to run together. Their hand brushed against my hair and I felt my eyes open to look at them.

Once again I couldn't see much due to how dark the room was, but I could feel them. Their soul was like a warm and clumsy kitten, sleepy and yet ready to pounce and play at a moments notice. So open, so honest. Kids were so cool, I'd always wanted a few. Eventually.

I gave them my best smile, "Hey bowl cut."

**_That's not very nice._ **

"Neither is the bowl cut my friend." I could feel their laughter instead of hearing it. They settled on the cot, leaning back against my stomach and looking at the door. Their humor stilled to a pensive 'silence'.

"Whats wrong?"

**_Everyone is anxious._ **

"Your family?" I felt rather than saw the nod, everything was so fuzzy and smeared with sleep. Reaching up I gently patted their back, feeling them tense for a moment before leaning into the touch.

**_They're afraid but worse than that they are lying about it. I hate lies._ **

"Me too kid. You know, adults lie to kids for a lot of reasons." A flicker of anger, "I know kid, I know. They're just trying to protect you I'm sure."

**_I don't need protecting! I'm..!_ **

A few moments of pause, a swirl of emotions.

**_I want to help. I don't want them to deal with things all alone. I love them._ **

The kid felt older than they looked. I lifted a hand to rest it on the top of their head and they turned to me. I could see the shine of something wet on their cheeks, "Hey." Wiping it away with a bit of my sheets I chuckled, "They'll tell you eventually I'm sure. Everyones weak to puppy dog eyes. Just give them time." A yawn ran through me as slumber tried to pull me back under.

"It'll all work out." The words eased the knot of my own anxiety a bit and I could feel the kid's soothed emotions settle.

**_You're right. Good night Fenella._ **

"Night bowl cut."

* * *

 

The mage's taste in music wasn't bad, he'd decided. He'd taken to hiding the cellphone in his pocket next to his own and listening to her playlists during the day. It was better than the Mettaton specials Paps insisted on watching every evening.

It was mostly electronic stuff, some instrumental, pop and rock in there too. Songs in languages he didn't know (though a few he'd asked Alphys about had caused her to freak out and go on about this or that anime). Seems the mage shared a few tastes with the little scientist. She had given him a slightly suspicious look when she realized Sans was still carrying the mage's cellphone around a few days later and he'd feigned ignorance on the significance of her looks.

The days had passed in relative peace, the mage making no attempts to escape or harm them though he could tell she was growing frustrated. She tested her boundaries with him as they traded a few barbed comments here and there. She'd once insinuated that she was looking forward to seeing who would win in combat between the two of them. He had merely snickered and shot back that perhaps she was confusing bloodlust and just plain lust. It had been an excellent moment to watch her face flush red.

He was getting frustated too, if he was being honest. Asgore seemed to be more haggard each time Sans saw him for the nighly debrief on the mage (Fenella). Asgore had told his council of the existence of mages, bringing with him the staff and other items as proof as well as Sans' report of the incident. There had been a fair amount of panic and alarm.

That panic had paled in comparison to the uproar when the first murder had been uncovered. A human found mauled a back alley, ripped to shreds and partially devoured. The local anti-monster hate groups had pointed their fingers solidly at the monsters, refusing to hear that monsters don't even DO that. They never had.

There had never been a monster that willingly ate a human. Especially when they were alive.

Asgore and the council knew it was the cause of the void-thing that had been sealed in the grimoire, a fact shared to them quite eagerly by Fenella. She had admitted that her knowledge on such beings was limited ("Not many people are stupid enough to fuck with the Void." she had snapped to Asgore when he had insisted she must know more than she was letting on.) but swore that she would do whatever was required to fix it.

She seemed honest, he could feel it even through those shackles when she spoke of the grimoire incident.

Fuck, don't think about the chains and shackles. **DO. NOT**.

Asgore still hadn't seen it fit to release her from the shackles and Sans didn't blame him. They had Paps and Frisk to think about. It would be so easy for the mage to hurt any of them when she wasn't constrained by the shackles.

Sans' phalanges prodded the phone in the pocket, causing the volume to increase in his headphones. The music pounded through him as his eyelids closed with a muted click. The mage favored bouncy or fast-paced tunes and he could feel his soul react in response as he let himself immerse himself in the music. No more thinking about half-eaten humans in alleyways or the mage who made him **feel things** he shouldn't. Just him, the music and-

A hand ripped the headphones off and his eyes snapped open, looking up at Undyne whose scales looked pale, "Sans! Did you not hear me?"

"no, I was listenin' to the mus-"

"Theres been another murder." Her tone was severe, eyes glimmering with anxiety as Sans reached out with his hands and felt around the pillows on the couch. Unearthing the TV remote he flicked the old-fashioned TV on and flipped over to the news channel. Alphys came out of the guest room, startled by the noise as she walked to stand next to Undyne.

Alphys' hands flew up to cover her mouth as she stared in horror at the TV, Undyne's face a grim mask as they stared in horror.

 

**Remains of three humans found dead in dumpster. Monster serial killer in Ebott?**

 

The news program had a presenter who spoke at length about the bodies uncovered. They had been sloppily hidden almost as if the killer wanted them to be found or simply didn't care. They had been partially devoured as well.

The pretty female presenter turned to a severe-looking man who had joined her in the studio, "This is Aldo Doering, founder of the Humans First movement and author of, 'Monsters: The New Plague'. Thank you for coming on today, Mr Doering."

He waved her off, barely offering a smile as he turned to look at her. Pressing his glasses up he sighed, "Quite a sad day for humanity when we let atrocities such as this happen."

"So you're convinced that this was indeed the work of a monster?" The woman leaned forward, fake-blonde hair falling over her shoulder.

"I do indeed and there is evidence to back it up. The Goat King has repeatedly assured us that they have no desire or reason to consume humans but the corpses were found with distinctive claw marks that just can't be replicated by human hands."

"Not even with a knife?"

"Indeed!" His smile was cold, eyes calculating with a dull sort of hatred as he crossed his legs at the knee. The man exuded confidence and Sans felt his left eye begin to glow as anger suffused him. The man had made a job, a profession out of hating monsters and rustling up anger and fear. This was the sort of shit he should keep in mind when it came to mages. This was all her fault to begin with.

And now monsters were **suffering for it**.

"Why do you think King Asgore and his council haven't come out with a statement over this newest incident?"

"Fear, no doubt. His carefully crafted image of friendly, helpful and harmless monsters is now falling apart."

Undyne snarled from her place on the couch, staring with hate at the TV as Sans stood. He couldn't watch any more of this.

"don't let Paps or the kid see any of this."

"They're already asleep." Undyne coiled an arm around Alphys' shoulders, pulling the smaller monster onto her lap and holding her gently as they turned off the TV. Alphys was crying quietly and it broke Sans' heart.

 **This was all her f a u l t**.

* * *

 

I had only been asleep for a little while it felt like when something grabbed and shook my shoulder. I had been dreaming something about fire, perhaps a fireplace? It had felt cozy and warm in comparison to the slightly cold basement room I that made up my cell. Opening my eyes I looked up at the small figure in front of me. Their face was covered in tears, their soul small and trembling.

**_You need to help them!_ **

"Who? Shit kid, you're real?" Now that I was fully and completely awake I realized that the kid was real. I thought they had just been a figment of my overactive imagination, "Could have sworn you were a dream." I sat up as they clung to me and I saw over their shoulder the door was open.

That didn't matter though, in the face of the pain I felt radiating off the kid, "Tell me."

**_My family. Some bad people are coming. You have to help! They can't..._ **

They bit their lip, anxiety rolling off of them in a suffocating wave. I pulled them close, "Shhh, kid. I got you. Tell me."

**_They can't do it alone. I KNOW they can't!_ **

They sounded so certain, why? Confusion bubbled inside of me as the kid gripped my sides. I could feel their desperation, their soul was -so loud-.

**_Help them, Fenella! Please!_ **

"I will kid, but you have to get me out of the shackle." Uncertainly buzzed through them as they shuffled from foot to foot.

**_Promise you won't hurt them._ **

"I'm a good mage kid, I promise. As good as a mage can be." It was the most (brutally) honest answer, and I could feel the swell of their soul as relief eased a bit of their uncertainty, "I'll only defend myself." They huffed.

**_Thats ok._ **

They pulled a set of keys from their pocket and undid the shackles.

**_Hurry!_ **


	8. The battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild violence in this chapter.

I had told the kid to go run and hide after they had told me where to find my posessions. Once they had left I had pulled off my current set of clothes (yet another pun-based skeleton shirt I was pretty sure belonged to Sans) and a pair of sweatpants. Feeling my magic rush into my body was something akin to ecstasy as I formed clothes onto my skin.

Well, I more or less summoned them. Most mages could do this trick, form armor or clothes out of pure magic to defend themselves with. I sometimes wondered if this was the source of all those transformation sequences in the anime my cousin loved so much. No flashing lights though, just naked one moment and clothes the next.

My cousin had once said my armor was 'steampunk meets sexy' and sometimes I agreed but this was the way my magic wanted to twist (though I had smacked her upside the head when she compared it to a few scantily clad video game characters). It wasn't scandalous by any means.

The hat though. That was my favorite. A chapeau with red feathers adorning the side. I had once seen a set of antique (which is saying something in mage terms) red mage armor that had a hat just like this and my magic had taken to imitating it immediately.

With my magic back at full power and zinging under my skin I felt... whole again. The manacles were truly horrible I realized now that they were off. Looking down at them I stomped on them viciously, bending them out of shape as my magic rushed into bone and blood to strengthen the movements. Once they were destroyed I huffed and walked out of my cell, hopefully to never return.

I didn't know what I'd do now, but I had a promise to keep to a scared little kid and I don't fuckin' break my promises.

* * *

 

**Somewhere in the woods...**

 

In the forest surrounding the cottage of Toriel Dreemurr a small army of armed humans amassed. Darkly clothed with even darker intent they had planned on taking the Queen of the Monsters, former wife of the cursed goat king and holding her ransom. Hold her until the king came forward on his knees like the animal he was and told them what they wanted to know.

After he'd groveled for awhile, of course.

They wanted the monster responsible for the attacks brought forth so that they could bring it to justice. Human justice.

The man in charge of the lead group looked down at his cellphone to the text message that had vibrated it. Smiling a bloodthirsty little smile, he touched the communication device at his ear, "Team Alpha and Beta start the advance. Delta and Epsilon wait fifteen then start the advance, we'll see if we can't flush the beasts in your direction."

"oh man oh man, yer about to have a rough night." The man jerked up his head to see a figure standing on a branch of the tree he was standing under. A blue hoodie, gym shorts and... were those pink bunny slippers? He could have sworn those shiny black eyes mocked him as his eyes traveled up.

It was a skeleton monster, one of their eyesockets completely black while they other was on fire. Blue and yellow burned from the eye socket that was locked on him he realized with a start, "Shit! Open fire!" The skeleton vanished and reappeared on the ground, two huge gleaming skulls appearing. Not wolf-like exactly, too reptilian almost for that-

He didn't get to examine any longer as with a loud noise he felt rather than heard he stopped existing.

Thats when the screaming began.

* * *

 

Opening the half-open door all the way I looked around. It was a cozy hallway, lined with pictures showing a happy blended family of monsters. There was the kid, wrapped in the arms of a monster that looked like the female version of Asgore. That must be Toriel. The lights were off and the home was quiet.

I walked along the hallway til I reached an intersection. One way a kitchen half-lit and the other a living room. Motion from the kitchen caused me to halt as red eyes spotted me. I yelped as a gust of flame shot through the door along with loud and vehement, "YOU'LL NOT HARM MY CHILD!"

**_Mom! Mom wait she's here to help!_ **

"Frisk...? My child, what are you talking about?"

**_That was the mage lady._ **

I peeked in the kitchen and saw the kid (Frisk?) standing between me and the goat monster. Her paws were on his shoulders as he signed to her frantically as their soul 'spoke' in time with the hand signs.

**_She's a good person! She said she'd help._ **

Peeking around the corner I nodded, "I will keep my word, ma'am. I swear on my soul's brilliance that I will assist in fending off the 'bad men'."

Toriel looked extremely uncertain as she glanced at me then to the kid. Over and over, her arms shaking slightly, "Frisk, did you let her out? That was very naughty of you darling."

**_I know, I'm sorry but she has to help!_ **

Toriel's expression grew pained then as she swept an oversized paw over their hair, looking truly conflicted. She had rather impressive control because I couldn't feel even a whisp of emotion from her soul, "You swore an oath in the old way. I will trust in you. Please do not betray it."

I nodded, bad things happened to people who broke vows made on one's souls. It may not happen immediately, but eventually it would all catch up. Every single sin.

"I will, but first I must make a phone call."

She almost staggered in shock, "P... pardon?" Frisk wriggled away from her and showed me to the phone on the wall. I held out a hand and the Lunaris Rod appeared in it as if melting in from the air. Toriel gave a quiet gasp as I picked up the phone and dialed, biting my lower lip.

I held the phone to my ear and chewed my lower lip. I started to get a bit anxious as the dial rang again and again. I almost thought they wouldn't pick up. Finally there was a click and then... silence. I knew that THEY were listening.

"Hello. I need to make an exchange." A smoky scoff buzzed down the line and I knew that the being was laughing at me, "Yes I know, a bit unorthodox but its possible right?"

Another bout of silence. I almost wanted to snap that I didn't have time for this but this was not a being to fuck with. Finally a grunt, like boulders smashing together, tickled my ear, "I need the Murgleis." I could almost -feel- the surprise ripple down the line.

There was another grating noise before I could feel power surging through the Lunaris Rod. I was sad to see it go, it was as beautiful as it was powerful and it suited me. Alas, it wasn't the correct weapon for the job. There had been another item in that armory that seemed that had sang at my touch. I knew I needed it now, something in me calling out in certainty.

"Do you have a lock on me?" Another affirmative rumble. I let the Lunaris Rod go and it vanished as Frisk made a soft squealing noise of excitement. Another item appeared in its place seconds later. A rapier of black metal inscribed with elaborate runes. The blade glowed cherry red as if it had come out of a furnace but it was cool to the touch. I grabbed the hilt and the blade's magic sang to me sweetly.

"Hello again, beautiful thing. Thank you, don't suppose I could get a dagger or gun to go-" CLICK. The Collector clearly had other things to do, busy guy. Hanging up the phone I left the kitchen after nodding to the pair. Frisk had gone back to looking anxious now that the excitement of the artifacts was over with, Toriel looked wan and stressed, "Lock the door after me."

I left the cottage and looked into the balmy night. It was surprisingly warm out and I'm sure there would have been crickets and owls and other such wildlife making noise but all I heard was the sound of gunshots and screaming.

At least that made the battle easy to find. In the woods to the front of the house were flashes of blue light and the vibrations of major magic being used. It felt just a tiny bit wrong, like the void-thing had felt. The sensation was so slight I almost felt like I was imagining. Maybe I was? I decided that would be the more interesting direction to go in while staying near the cottage.

* * *

 

Sweat, a side effect of all the magic he was putting off, beaded and fell down his skull as the Gaster Blasters fired again and again. He had dodged and deflected the various attacks the humans had used. The telescoping batons and tasers were easy enough to dodge. The guns though, he took a series of shortcuts that made his form weave through the trees. As he vanished bullets would tear the bark apart. If he stopped for more than a second they would get him.

One HP.

 **One**.

He didn't dwell on it, how could he? It'd been that way since... Well, for as long as he cared to remember. Magic coursed along his limbs as he carved open another door to the plane, just for the barest moment of time to pull through another Gaster Blaster. It siphoned power from him, using it to send another blast towards the scattering of humans huddled in the forest. There was another bevy of screams.

A flex of power, a ripple, carressed his back and he turned. In the clearing near the cottage the mage -danced-. The humans that had slipped past him were aiming guns at her, finding her an easier target than the 'scary skeleton thing'. As they raised their guns he almost shortcut forward but stopped as she pulled out a thin blade (a sword?) that glowed cherry red. Drawing a circle in front of her with it he could see magic circles springing in the air.

As the bullets shattered the shields more sprang forth, shards of magic dropping to the dewy grass to vanish. Her face was calm, serene when in front of the void-summoned thing she had been pale, panicked. He couldn't see before, and he doubted she was close enough to see now but since she was in battle...

**Oh**

**LV 24**  
**EXP 0**

 

How does someone have LV but not EXP? Horror rolled through him and his eye surged to the point of pain. Shame flooded him in equal measure, he had reacted to such a horrible creature? That cynical voice inside him had been right all along. She was a wolf in sheep's clothes. First the humans, **then her**.

No one would hurt his family.

The bite of bullets against wood brought him out of his stupor as he turned back to the battle at hand. A dozen Gaster Blasters were pulled from the Void at his hell, opening their mouths as Sans looked on with cold fury.

* * *

 

Murgleis darted forward as my magic-boosted legs sprang me forward as if the rapier in my hand was a shooting star and I was just holding on for the ride. Embers of magic were brought to life, died and faded as the excess from my casting rolled off my form in star-bright sparkles. The blade-tip flicked away the thrown tazer, they were really getting desperate as my foot impacted the man's stomach.

He was wearing kevlar but even high quality mundane body armor couldn't hold up against a magically-enhanced kick from a very angry mage wearing heels. He'd feel that. None of the people who had attacked her, or tried to, were dead. Injured? Oh HELLS yes. But not dead. I didn't deal in absolutes unless I had to.

Seeing a figure running for it I held up a hand, lips murmuring, the tug of magic almost intoxicating as a magic circle appeared before my outstretched fingers. Bolts of ice sprang through the air eagerly before impacting the ground around the running figure. The ground became ice and he fell with a WHUMP, sliding to crack into a tree. I almost released my spell, but I hesitated. Anything else? Any more move-

A flash.

I held out my hand and spun, aiming towards my feet as a wall of ice, pure and bright blue, sprang up between me and a huge thunderous impact. Mist rolled off the ice as it was slowly worn away by the power of the blast. Did the enemy have another mage?! The blast was stopped with a hiss, water melting down into the grass as the ice wall collapsed.

There was Sans, standing with his hands negligently in his pockets. One of his sockets was black, the other aflame with a glowing eye, cyan and yellow, roiling with fury. That attack had been... intentional.

"What are you doing? I'm on your side!"

"how did you get out, magey?" His flickering eye looked past me to the cottage. He thought I had hurt Toriel and Frisk?!

"They are unhurt, I promise. Frisk let me out-"

" **l i a r**." The word came as a blow across the shoulders as his magic spilled forth in a roiling wave. I could see the flicker of his soul through the thick cloth of his hoodie. He jerked his head and I felt my gut shift, a tugging on my soul as his magic caught me.

Shit.

I flew towards a large oak, if I smacked into it at these speeds-! Magic coursed through me, strengthening my limbs as I twisted in his 'grip'. My feet impacted the tree with enough force to cause it to shudder and creak, the Murgleis still in my hand. His brows went up in shock before he snarled and jerked his head once more.

Again and again he tried to fling me through the air and it worked less and less with each attempt. I was learning how to fight his hold and I could tell he was growing exhausted, "Why Sans?! I don't want to fight you, I promised Frisk!"

"liar. don't speak his name you bitch!" He flung me up high, preparing to slam me down into the ground. I'd had enough, call me a bitch would you?!

"Bony asshole!" My rage helped me, gave me the will I needed to break my soul out of his magical grip. He looked up in shock, hands flashing out of his pockets as he held out an arm. I could feel the cold trickle down my spine as several gates opened to the void, faster than I could recognize. Skulls appeared in the air around him, huge and definitely hostile.

They shared their master's burning gaze, I could feel Sans' magic coalesce into them. Their maws spread. As I fell I surrounded myself in the shields, using the Murgleis as a focus. The blade sang.

The cracking of barriers as the skulls' beams hit filled my ears with noise. So much, too much. Too close. They tracked me as I fell and I knew I'd be dead before I hit the ground. Forming a magic circle with a quiet spell ice formed on it. I kicked off with my foot, flinging myself forward. As the skulls jerked to correct their aim Sans' eye widened in shock as he realized I was about to fall right on him.

Holding out my blade, Murgleis' song increasing to resonate in my soul, I only very distantly heard a cry.

_**FENELLA STOP** _

I saw nothing, heard nothing but the enemy in front of me. He had tried to kill me! I didn't want... I didn't want to hurt him! I made a promise but I wasn't ready to die. I'd just rough him up a bit and heal him afterwards.

**_FENELLA STOP_ **

Frisk?

**_HE ONLY HAS ONE HP_ **

What?! My eyes widened as I landed on top of Sans, kneeling over him with my blade tip three inches from his forehead. One HP? If he even got nicked by me he'd-

* * *

 

She had spun out of the way of the Gaster Blasters' beams, leaping forward through the night sky like some sorta **fuckin** ' avenging angel. He saw clearly her eyes, conflicted and almost sorrowful. No, it had to be an act. She'd **kill** them all given a chance. Her **LV** was so high.

He glanced over and saw Frisk struggling in the arms of Toriel, heard the kid's soul crying out and trying to reach the mage. She was flying at him, falling from heaven. She impacted him and he crashed to the grass with a painful thud. His fingers dug into the loam as he looked up at her as his chest stilled completely.

Her blade was so close, all she would have to do was press forward. **With intent**. But she had stopped. He could feel the soft, warm weight of her on his stomach, could smell her sweat and magic. Her chest rose and fell harshly, panting from the exertion from battle, eyes wide with adrenaline and....

Not pity. He couldn't handle it. No. **Please** , magey.

No pity, not even a hint. Then her eyes closed, thick lashes fluttering against her skin. The blade turned from him and sunk into the ground next to his head as she let the hilt go, "I give you mercy, Sans."

What?

What the **fuck**?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be taking small liberties with the way LV and EXP work in the upcoming chapter.


	9. You got some 'splanin to do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, like I said before I slightly adjusted the meaning of LV. It's always explained in game as your ability to do damage but also your WILLINGNESS to destroy. In my fic (for mages) it's just "capability for destruction". It doesn't indicate if they want to destroy or their lack of caring ABOUT hurting others as their LV increases.

The mage sagged against him, resting on his stomach and hips as her legs trembled with fatigue. Her soul was still brilliant though its coloring was chaotic. It seemed to be red, mostly. The same color as her eyes. Sans felt Frisk's soul call out, could see the kid running to the pair of them.

The mage's eyes opened in surprise, turning to look. A flash of orange, an impact to her stomach and she was flying through the air, hitting the ground and tumbling several times through the grass before landing in a heap.

"HUMAN! DON'T YOU HURT MY BROTHER!" Papyrus stood there, eyes aflame with anger and wielding an array of floating orange bones. They raised up into the air, ready to strike as Pap's hand extended. His bones clacked, though Sans didn't know if it was from fear or anger.

"paps." Rising up slowly, his bones feeling heavy and brittle with fatigue, he huffed, "stop paps. she's-" Frisk ran up then, his soul radiating anger as he signed to Paps, fingers a blur.

**_She's a good person, she helped us!_ **

"SHE.... SHE HELPED US? SHE'S NOT LIKE THE OTHERS? BUT HER CLOTHES WERE DARK LIKE THEIRS AND SHE WAS ON TOP OF SANS." Pap's eyes flicked over to the blade still sticking out of the ground. Sans reached out and picked it up, fingers curling easily around the hilt. It hummed like the staff had, only it felt a bit different.

The magic inside of the weapon prickled him gently, reminding him of a riled cat arching its back and fluffing up its tail. Odd? "i... i attacked her paps." Sans watched as Toriel walked over to the mage, kneeling at her side. She hadn't moved since she'd been struck.

The younger skele-brother hadn't held back at all, and it filled Sans with pride to know that his younger brother would protect him so. But... guilt once again twisted his insides, magic bubbling unpleasantly as he walked over to where the mage was laying.

She had **spared** him.

He had attacked her with everything he had left after facing the humans, attacked her with the intent to destroy her. Surely she'd felt it? Killing intent. She'd faced him down, taken his abuse and tried to talk him down. Then, when Frisk had intervened...

Was she really on their side? She could have killed him in that moment, could have done nothing when faced with something that terrified her. Was she? But she was a mage. They were evil.

 **Weren't they**?

He felt as if he was standing on ground that was constantly falling away from his feet, forcing him to scrabble sway to stay standing. What was true, what was false. He felt like he didn't know which way was up any more. Looking around the clearing he could see the unconscious or wounded forms of many humans. Humans that may have otherwise forced themselves into the cottage.

Toriel's arm wrapped around the mage's shoulder, lifting her up as the mage groaned softly in pain. Watching as her hand pressed into her stomach with a wince before beginning to glow a light purple. It wasn't the green of typical healing magic, it felt different too.

The mage's eyes opened, the brilliant red fogged by pain, she looked to Pap and gave a breathless laugh, "Th... that was quite the hit." Pap looked like he was about ready to cry, trembling so hard his bones rattled as he stared down at the woman.

"WHO IS SHE?" Pap looked between Frisk and Sans, confusion written clear on his face.

**_She -helped- us._ **

Frisk was staring at Sans now, their eyes hardened. Driving the point home. Sans heaved a soft sigh, giving Frisk the faintest of nods ( **got it kid** ) before looking over to Paps. Patting Pap's back gently, Sans looked up at his younger brother, "shes a mage, paps."

"A MAGE...?" Papyrus looked to the woman who was healing her wounds, excess magic misting onto the grass like the vapor from dried ice, "BUT I THOUGHT MAGES WERE BAD. THIS ONE HELPED US?" He sounded hopelessly confused.

(Me too buddy.) Sans nodded hesitantly before his face flushed cyan at Pap's next question.

"WHY WAS SHE STRADDLING YOU?" Sans knew he didn't mean it in... that way but it didn't stop Sans from taking it in that way. The mage was so confusing, hate and that odd tight heat in his magic flipflopping back and forth. He hated it yet was quickly becoming addicted to it.

"It was an accident." And now she was covering for him! He felt a growl roll through him but as heads turned his way he aimed his gaze towards the humans that were starting to get up. Sirens started to echo from the distance, weaving their way up the long, rather rough road to the cottage.

"you should take her inside. don't want them asking any questions about a human that can use magic, do we?" Toriel nodded, looking slightly startled as she lifted the mage who let out a wheeze and a soft, 'Ow'.

Toriel made gentle noises of sympathy as she carried the mage into the house, Paps and Frisk following. Asgore arrived with the SWAT team, looking frantic and distressed. Once he realized that no one had been hurt that concern swiftly became anger.

Sans could still hear Asgore speaking with loud authority at the police officers and SWAT leaders as he walked inside. Everyone had clustered into the kitchen, Frisk looking far too bright-eyed and bushy tailed considering it was around 5 am. Toriel was her head burrowed into her arms and was asleep judging by the soft snores.

Paps was softly (for him) talking to Frisk, their heads together as Frisk gently bounced in his seat. Aphys was passed out, head leaning back and mouth open, glasses askew. Undyne was still outside with Asgore.

Movement caught his gaze and his eyes widened faintly. The mage was at the stove, making breakfast and once again wearing one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants. He could hear the pop of fat and the smell of pancakes and bacon. A large plate of fried eggs rested nearby, waiting to be served.

Her movements were tender, still in pain, but she still seemed in better sorts than he'd really expected. Sockets narrowing, he tried to see her LV and EXP again but it was hidden. Apparently she had to be in battle for him to see that particular information.

She glanced round at him and lofted a brow, waving a spatula before pointing at the fridge, "Could you please get out some drinks? Not sure what you guys have except milk." She gave him a significant look that clearly said, 'Least you could do for trying to kill me, after all.'

He realized with a start he was still carrying her blade, glancing down at it before placing it against the wall next to the oversized fridge. Opening it with a tired yank he pulled out some orange juice and another carton of milk (ooh look, ketchup) and placed them on the table before sitting and watching.

What do you say after you've tried to kill someone? He didn't think a 'sorry' would do. She placed the large plates heaped with food on the table and sat down. Toriel jerked up with a snort at the sound, blinking owlishly before turning a bit pink.

"O...oh! You didn't have to do this, miss.... uhm."

"Fenella Foley." The mage gave a small smile, lacing her fingers and resting her chin on the backs of them, "Please don't worry about it. You were the one who has been cooking all my meals this past week yes?"

With a tilt of her head, Toriel gave the mage a curious look, "I found a long white hair on the tray one day and I don't think Asgore is the cooking type." Toriel flushed heartily and stammered apologies but Fenella simply waved them away, "It's the least I can do to repay you for all of your cooking, though I fear it may not be up to the same standards."

The mage watched Frisk piled two fried eggs, a thick strip of bacon and a pancake onto their plate before tearing into it as if they were starved. The mage looked contemplative. Sans glanced at the food. It did look good, but not as... pretty as Toriel would have made it.

He reached out for a bit of everything regardless as Asgore walked in, and he could almost swear the temperature dropped several degrees.

* * *

 

 

"What. Is this." Asgore looked at me with steel in his gaze and I didn't move an inch in response. If he wanted to get me back into that cell he'd have to do it himself. Undyne walked in behind him and gasped at the sight of me sitting leisurely at the kitchen table.

**_I let her out._ **

Frisk signed while chewing on a too-large bite of food.

_**I had to. The bad men were coming.** _

Asgore looked to Frisk, glancing down at their fingers before looking back to me accusingly before sagging into one of the remaining chairs so hard it creaked. The yellow dinosaur-looking monster jerked up with a startled yip. The taller skeleton looked between Frisk and Asgore with marked anxiety.

"I MAY HAVE SMACKED HER." Asgore looked tiredly at Paps and rolled his shoulders faintly before looking to the food.

"You didn't know Papyrus. Do not concern yourself with this." Asgore looked to me once more, measuring me before Toriel spoke.

"She swore on her soul not to do harm to us." Surprise flickered in the depths of Asgore's crimson eyes before his shoulders sagged further. Ahhh, the weight of responsability.

"The mages themselves mean to harm us."

"Do we? Not all of them, I'm sure." I spoke with assuredness in my tone as I nibbled on a piece of bacon, "Plus that isn't the reason why you are keeping me."

The goat king glanced at me sharply and I looked back at him, unafraid of matching his gaze as I leaned forward on the table, "I've had the past week to think on it, after all." I looked over at Frisk for a moment, Asgore following my eyes before sitlling as tension grew in the air.

The sound of eating and cutlery stopped as the monsters felt that subtle tension. Asgore opened his mouth to speak, to command, but I stopped him flat, "When were you going to bring up that Frisk is a mage?"

Frisk seemed to be the only one unaffected by the tension, happily stuffing fluffy syrup-sodden bites of pancake into their mouth. It wasn't a surprise to them, at least. Nor Toriel judging by her downcast eyes. The others though....

Sans looked alarmed, almost pale as he gripped a bottle of ketchup (when did he get that?). The taller skeleton, Papyrus, merely looked confused. Undyne and Alphys stared at me incredulously.

"They have been speaking with their soul to me a few times this week through our dreams." Asgore and Toriel stared down at Frisk, who had stilled with a piece of pancake half-out of their mouth. Busted, kid. They glared to me faintly and I shrugged, "Hey, I had to tell them."

"the kids a mage...?"

"A strong one too, or will be if they get training. If they don't... it will be very dangerous, especially as they enter their... ahem, teen years." Leaning back in my chair I looked to the kid as he signed to Toriel, soul whispering.

"how?" I looked to Sans who was staring down at the bottle of ketchup without his eyelights. I was still angry at him for trying to kill me, but I was trying not to take it too personally.

"How are they a mage? It's how they were born. All mages are born the way they are."

"are they born with LV?" His fingers were squeezing the shit out of that ketchup bottle as tension once again grew in the air.

"You mean my level?" Asgore, Toriel, Undyne and Alphys all looked at me horrified and I blinked in confusion. Huh? What was this reaction?

"Does it mean something different to monsters? For mages it means how much destruction you -can- do." I pressed a hand to my chest, closing my eyes before drawing out my soul. It was a velvet burgendy, the color of wine or garnets. The monsters gaped at me, some blushing, but I didn't hesitate.

 **LV** 24  
**HP** 3200/3800  
**AT**  178  
**DF** 52  
**EXP** 0

"How is your EXP at zero but your LV is 24? I've never seen anything like this before." Asgore leaned in, getting over his shock the fastest of the group. Most of them glanced away as I pressed my soul back into my body.

"EXP is only gained from killing monsters, humans or mages. I've never killed anyone. I've trained for combat my entire life, however. My 'Level of Violence' is the culmination of all the skills I've gained -for- combat." I looked at the group as they took that in, frowning faintly as I said quietly, "Why do you think my main weapons were the wires and Shooting Stars? They are non-lethal."

"You had the staff as well." Asgore pointed out as he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest but it was a tired motion versus an aggressive one.

"The Lunaris Rod can indeed be a powerful weapon of destruction but it can also be a focus for healing." I pointed to the Murgleis Sans had rested against the wall, "As is that. They are just like mages, just like my LV." I leaned forward then, placing my hands on the table, "It is the intent, not the possibility for harm that is important."

"Don't you think that is rather naive?" Asgore sighed softly, looking down at his plate of food. He seemed so resigned.

"Around fifty thousand monsters came out of the Underground, right?" Toriel gave a nod and I went on, "There are around two hundred and fifty thousand mages and how many billions of humans? You can't afford to be naive, I get it. But if there was to be a war monsters would have no chance regardless, so wouldn't it be better to not make an enemy of the mages as well?"

Asgore flinched faintly, arms falling as Toriel stared at him with hard eyes. I picked up the salt and pepper shakers and looked at them for a moment before moving my dish to the side. It's time to lay out everything on the table. I poured a bit of salt out and a bit of pepper and pointed to them.

"The salt is monsters and the pepper is humans."

"Wait! Why can't we be the pepper?!" Undyne spoke up from where she had sat, leaning forward to eyeball me. I snorted in amusement and nodded.

"Fine then, pepper is team monster and salt is team human. Where are mages?" They looked at me as I paused for a moment, "There are plenty of theories how mages came into being. Some say we consumed the flesh of monsters to gain our power." Horrified expressions, "But I really doubt it. Another group thinks we stole the power some how but I don't think thats it either."

I gently nudged some of the salt and pepper from each pile to the spot inbetween, melding them as eyes watched me curiously, "The most popular theory these days, one hotly denied by mage nobility, is that a long time ago when humans and monsters roamed the planet together they made children with eachother."

"I... is t-that even possible?" The yellow monster spoke up softly, stuttering badly as she looked up at me.

"We should know in the next few months, shouldn't we? Human-Monster relationships are starting to spring up though they aren't that widespread."

"Do you have any proof of this?" Asgore looked at me, though oddly he didn't seem surprised. He must have suspected, surely?

I tilted my head faintly, debating on how to phrase this, "You may not notice... but humans have races. We all look different depending on where we come from." A few of the monsters nodded, others simply watched me. I leaned in so that I was closer to the table, "They aren't as markedly different as the differences between monsters so they may be difficult for you to see but I want you to think about the humans you've seen."

"Have any of them looked like me?" Chocolate skin and features that leaned neither towards African, Indian or European, off-white straight hair and, "Have you ever seen a human with red eyes or-" I pulled my hair back completely, braids rustling. I had always styled my hair to cover my ears but now they could see that they were pointed. Not that much larger than a regular humans, but as I relaxed they lowered faintly. Definitely pointed, elf-like ears.

"I am Fanella Foley of House Sinafay. It used to be known as 'Sins-of-Fae'." Toriel paled as Asgore looked down, gripping the edge of the table as I continued, "Sins of the Fae, my ancestors were monsters from Ireland." I let my hair fall and nodded to Frisk, who was looking up at me in fascination.

"Look at them, they are the same. Perfectly straddling the lines between human races simply -because- they don't belong to any of them." Frisks' eyes were narrow hinting towards Asian ancestry but they were tanned in a way that made you think of the people from the Mediterranean, "We're called 'mongrels' in the mage world. It basically means we come from an impure line. Most Specialist-type mages come from blended magical backgrounds."

There was silence as everyone digested my words except for the soft cracking of plastic as Sans chugged his ketchup, which I watched with a mildly impressed air (that was gross but kinda impressive?).

"We don't look like humans because we aren't, is basically what I'm trying to say. If this theory is correct, which I very much imagine it is, it means the mage population will begin to expand and it won't be long until mages are no longer secret." I hefted the jug of milk and poured myself a glass, "What you all have to decide on is which side of the fence you'd rather be on. With mages, or against. I would say kidnapping me isn't an auspicious start but I'm the forgiving type." Toriel and Asgore flinched and I gave a small smile.

"How long do you think we have?" Ahhh, that was a difficult question but an important one. Asgore's crimson eyes, so similar to my own, were locked on his clasped hands.

"Before mages come into the spotlight? Mages don't often show their power until age ten unless they are excessively powerful like Frisk. It usually coincides with puberty which makes it a dangerous time for mages like I said." Mages sometimes took on characteristics from their lineage. Some explain them away as mere abberattions or random manifestations of magic buuuut...

That excuse stopped holding water for me after awhile. That was how I got my darker skin, red eyes and ears. I had seen other such 'manifestations' on other mages and I wondered what it would be like for any of the people at the table's mage children. Undyne would probably give her child a smattering of scales or sharper than normal teeth (if she wasn't so clearly besotted with the yellow dinosaur monster I hadn't yet gotten the name of).

Let's see, Asgore and Toriel might give any mage progeny horns or red eyes like mine. The skeletons? I looked between Sans and Papyrus as the conversation carried on without me. I had no idea, huh. Most mages covered up their more striking features with glamours, it was the proper thing to do in civilized company. I hid my ears and often changed my coloring when out and about, I got too many stares otherwise as people tried to figure out what my parents were race wise. It reminded me of when the kid had asked me what I was.

I was me, nothing more and certainly nothing less.

During a lull in the conversation I spoke up, "All of this, of course, pales in comparison to the voidsent thing currently running around free and the fact you all got attacked tonight." I blinked faintly at their sudden stares, "What was that all about anyway?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought it was kind of interesting that Frisks' in game avatar always looked between races themselves so I sorta took that idea and ran with it. They don't look like one race or another because they don't belong to the human race anymore, not in the truest sense.


	10. Urgent News Bulletin for the International Space Station

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't come at all easily. It feels a bit stilted to me, mostly because Sans is suffering from a few powerful emotions at once and its making the scenes difficult to write. 
> 
> Also, I'm horrible at puns. So, so bad. 
> 
> Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Asgore had explained that the attack on the cottage was retaliation for the murders being perpetrated on humans in Ebott. My expression went flat as he explained the condition of the victims, and nodded sadly when I said that it was absolutely the voidsent.

After that conversation had tapered off due to exhaustion so everyone had taken a long nap. I hadn't slept until I had expressed upon Asgore how unimpressed I'd be if they decided to lock the door on the cell on me while I napped. Frisk promised me they wouldn't let them but....

I still fell asleep easily despite the slightly uncomfortable cot. They manacles were gone, broken and ferreted away. I had woken up around noon and went up to see what was smelling so delicious.

Toriel was standing in the kitchen, fresh and lovely as if she had gotten a full nights sleep instead of an abbreviated night filled with people attacking her house. I sat down at the table and watched as Frisk worked on some homework, I think? Looking over their shoulder I hummed, yup. Homework. Poor thing. Always my least favorite part of learning.

Seeing that they had made a mistake I reached over and tapped the mathematical problem where they had made an error. They glanced at me with curious eyes before focusing back on their work. Their soul trilled a bit as they realized the mistake and fixed it. I gently patted their head, Toriel watching with a wary eye before relaxing as Frisk's soul radiated contentment. Trust.

Did I mentioned how cool kids are? So cool. I couldn't remember ever being that trusting, had I ever been? The tall skeleton burst into the room, automatically raising the ambient energy as he called out, "HUMAN FRISK, ARE YOU WORKING ON YOUR HOMEWORK? DO YOU WANT THE AMAZING PAPYRUS TO ASSIST YOU?" His eyelights fell on me and he didn't even pause, "MAGE FENELLA, HOW DID YOU SLEEP?"

"Very well Papyrus, thank you for asking. You?"

"I DID NOT NAP, I FIXED SOME OF THE FLOWER BEDS THAT WERE DAMAGED DURING THE BATTLE." He paused, sitting down at the table, "I FOUND MANY TREES WITH DENTS IN THEM, DO YOU BELIEVE IT WAS THE LOCAL WILDLIFE?" Oops, that was probably from when Sans was trying to knock me around.

"my bad, paps." San spoke up from my blind side, causing me to jump as he chuckled softly, "somethin' wrong magey? you weren't pine-ing for me, were you?"

Both Papyrus and I groaned softly, "BROTHER, DO NOT START."

"sorry paps, don't want to make you leaf so i'll stop."

"SANS."

"is my bark worse than my bite?" I watched the two brothers interact, mentally groaning at the bevy of puns as they playfully bickered back and forth. I didn't have any siblings, I'd grown up with my cousin and we were pretty close but nothing in comparison to this. It was heartwarming.

Sans' smile widened until I could see his incisors which were... surprisingly sharp. I looked at them curiously and he caught me, his smile widening and gaining a feral quality, "if you keep starin' at me i'm gunna assume you've forgiven me." Was that a twinge of self-deprication?

"Sans, Miss Foley." Asgore stood in the doorway and motioned at the pair of us. Toriel turned and gave him a severe expression and he coughed softly, "Please come with me. It's about the-" He glanced to Frisk and then mouthed, 'Void'.

I stood up and looked over to Frisk and then followed Asgore into a small study. Closing the door behind us, Asgore walked over and sat down in an armchair and looked to the pair of us, "We have a lead on the void-thing. I want the pair of you to go into Ebott and follow it."

I crossed my arms under my breasts and eyed the monster king, "Is Sans coming to make sure I don't run off or to actually assist?"

"Both." Asgore smiled and I rolled my eyes skywards and prayed for patience from whatever diety might be watching. At least he had shown me the respect of not trying to lie. Sans didn't seem happy about the arrangement, his eyelights flicking at me once or two before he leaned back against the door.

"Fine, but I need to stop at me apartment. I need -my- clothes." Asgore nodded faintly and looked at Sans, as if expecting him to kick up a fuss. He didn't, simply rolled his shoulders in a shrug and smirked lazily.

So off we went, armed with a folder of information. Sans had offered to teleport me to my apartment, and then had revealed he knew where it was when I asked how that would work. The little shit. His 'shortcuts' were interesting, didn't feel like a short range 'blink' even though I'm pretty sure his powers fell into the same range as a Warp Mage.

He had looped his arm through mine, phalanges digging into my shirt before the world had gone sideways and a bit spinny. I had recovered quickly, looking around to realize he'd put us in a stand of trees very close to my building.

He did seem unusual for a monster though, from what I could tell. Not that I was an expert or anything. I put in my code and then pressed my thumb to the scanner before the heavy door of my apartment swung open. I looked around before motioning Sans in behind me.

He whistled softly, "thats some security."

"I make a lot of enemies. Make yourself comfortable while I go change." My apartment was nice but I was paying out the ass for the security. Gated communities were expensive but often came with a lot of benefits. A few annoyances too, my neighbor was a cranky old woman who pitched a fit at the softest noise.

I went into my bedroom and started opening drawers, pulling out items as a soft sound reached my ears. Sans had followed me and he was looking around my bedroom, "What are you doing?"

"have to make sure you won't run off."

"Not very trusting, are we? You'd think me not kicking up a fuss about you trying to -kill me- would earn me a few brownie points?"

"you don't think it did...?" His smirk increased, his bones glowing faintly in the dim light. A faint blush heated my cheeks (against my will).

"Perhaps start acting like it?"

"i'll consider it." He walked over to my bed and turned his back on it before plopping down on it, bouncing gently with a soft chuckle. Rolling my eyes I lifted a set of clothes and walked into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, relieved that Sans hadn't even tried to enter the bathroom to watch. I guess those orders had been rescinded.

I looked at myself in the mirror before applying one of my glamours. Lightning my skin just a bit, shifting my hair color to a platinum blonde with indigo streaks. My eyes switched to a friendly green and I looked at myself, smoothing my hair back before pulling it into a high ponytail. Slipping on my clothes I walked out of the bedroom to find Sans looking through the folder.

He glanced up and then reared back in surprise, "what the?"

"It's a spell, a glamour. Changes what I look like so I can more easily blend in with regular humans." His shoulders were tensed as he looked me up and down before focusing on my chest. Glimpsing my soul? He relaxed, slightly, at that and shook his head.

"you are so weird."

"It's not a -me- thing it's a -mage- thing. Now, what do the papers say."

"it's a report saying that the monster is focusin' on a couple of neighborhoods. fluffybuns wants us to go in and snoop around." He offered one of the sheets and I took it, perusing it silently for a moment.

"It's in the entertainment district close to where it was summoned." Sans shifted his foot and then stopped, peering down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him bend and pull something from the back of his sneaker and hold it up. His laughter caught my attention and I looked over.

He had one of my fancier bras and was rubbing his phalanges over the cups where the underwire was, "hahaha, fancy. so this is the underwire thing that burned ya, right?" He looked over at me as I flushed red, reaching out to try and snatch the bra. He lifted his hands, dodging my grab and snickering at me.

"whats wrong magey? don't get your panties twisted." He twisted the bra as he spoke and I groaned loudly, lunging forward to grab the bra and rattling my bedside table.

"Sans! Give it to me you bony asshole!"

"now now, thats not very nice magey." He leaned back on the bed, hands in the air as he continued to play keep-away, "you seem angry, maybe you need more support?" I growled softly and lunged for him just as he vanished. I hit the bed, bounced and tumbled off with a loud thump.

"Sans!" I was on my back on the floor, and as I spoke his name his head popped over the side of my bed to smile at me.

"yes magey? do you not find this humerus?"

Was that a fucking BONE PUN?! I stared up at him balefully and he vanished again, the bra flying through the air and landing on my face. He won this battle, but not the war. I sat up, flinging the bra into my laundry hamper and grumbling bitterly before I heard a familiar knock at the door. And then yelling. Yelling of such quality only achievable by miserable old bags with nothing better to do.

"Fuck."

"who's that?"

"My neighbor." I stood, walking to the front of the house but San's voice stopped me, pitched low and resonant.

"you know, I never thought i'd hear you beggin' me to 'give it to ya' in yer bedroom." I refused to look back at him, knowing that my face was red. Hot and cold, why did he do shit like this?! If he followed his pattern he'd be trying to kill me tomorrow.

Fuck, I didn't just jynx myself, did I?

* * *

 

Watching her go he could help but follow the sway of her full hips with his eyelights. Scoffing softly he listened to her opening the door and then the unpleasant screech of the neighbor. She sounded older, voice raspy and unpleasant with negative emotions. Gathering the papers and stuffing them back into the folder he followed the sound.

Seeing another prime opportunity he sidled over to the mage's side and wrapped an arm around her waist, looking at the grey-haired mumu-sporting human with a saucy smile, "we have company babe?" It was very hard not to lose his composure as both of them stared at him in absolute horror for a moment.

"You are dating a monster?"

"I..." The mage's sharp tongue had abandoned her. For the moment.

"oh babe, i'm not your dirty secret am i?" He looked over at the neighbor, "we met at the local polka linedancing club, we're both avid enthusiasts." The old woman's mouth bobbed open and closed in a fish-like manner before she cast her scornful gaze back to Fenella.

"I'm pretty sure bringing around monsters is against the HOA! I should report you." The mage's elbow slammed into Sans' side and he oofed softly.

"That sounds horribly illegal, monsters are full citizens now aren't they?"

"of course we are schnookums." He patted her hip affectionately before pinching her side, causing her to jump towards him, "aww, she's so affectionate." The neighbor grimaced in disgust at the public display of "affection" as the mage elbowed him again.

"I'm so sorry we were making noise, Mrs Maher," Elbow elbow **elbow**. He spoke up as he pulled her close, not giving her the room to wind up her 'attacks', pressing her soft form against his.

"we will try and keep the bedroom shenanigans to a dull roar. i make no promises though, she's a lioness in bed." The neighbor choked, going pale as she stared at the pair in absolute horror before stomping off screaming about 'living in sin' and 'filthy loose women shacking up with monsters' and 'the HOA will hear of this!'

Sans cackled gleefully before realizing the mage had gone very still and very quiet.

 **Uh oh**.

He looked up at her and saw that she was staring at him, green eyes frosty as she spoke, "The news of my new 'relationship status' will no doubt reach the International Space Station by dinner tonight. Did you have to do -that- to one of the most prolific gossipers in this entire town?!" She pushed him away and growled softly, grabbed a jacket off of a peg and motioning for him to follow, "Hurry and follow before we're inundated by little old grannies armed with moral superiority and crochet hooks."

"i dunno, that sounds like fun." Stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets he scuffed after her as she closed her door, locking it once more.

"Sans, I will murder you." Her tone wasn't threatening though he could see her irritation flushing her cheeks and making her eyes sparkle.

"not gunna lie, that kind of sounds like fun too. gunna roar for me?" He wasn't exactly lying, fighting her for fun someday would be entertaining if he could muster the energy for it.

"What the fuck even is polka linedancing anyways?!" Her voice hissed at him as they walked back to the stand of trees, the scent of pine tickling his senses as he reached out for her once more. White phalanges wrapped around her wrist as she looked at him, tongue sweeping over her lower lip.

"see, you roar so sweetly." Eyelights caught on that pink tongue before looking back to her eyes, his smile widening even more at her emphatic 'URGH'. 

The night before he had been so willing to put and end to her to protect his family, to protect Paps. Even, he shamefully had to admit, to put an end to the conflict that warred inside of him. Every time he felt that cynical voice inside of him start up he would remember the way she had trembled and given him mercy. He wasn't even sure he deserved it, and he wondered how many resets it had taken the kid for it to happen. 

He'd barely noticed them this time, just gotten the barest sense of deja vu before things had continued. The kid had promised that they would only reset under the most dire circumstances. He wondered how many times he'd died to the humans before Frisk thought to let Fenella free. How many times had he **died to her**?

Sans didn't want to know. Looking at her as he took them through the shortcut, that blush on her cheeks, he wondered what excuses he'd use now to try and kill that quickly growing addiction


	11. Blue eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a touch of sin today. Enjoy!

I automatically patted down my pockets when we appeared in an alleyway in the middle of the entertainment district. Frowning, my anxiety lurched for a moment before remembering they hadn't given me back my cellphone. Alphys had admitted to gutting it, though she'd looked a bit shifty-eyed when confronted about it.

I hadn't pressed, hadn't seen the need to. Phones were expensive but I ended up having to replace mine every few months. They'd fall out of my pocket (or bra, sigh) and break or I'd get dumped in a lake or stuck out in the rain and bzzzt. Dead phone. Thank the technological overlords for the Cloud.

Sans peeked out from the mouth of the alleyway, his hoodie pulled up over his head and figure slouched in a lazy manner. He was quite deceptive, I've realized. Apparently there had been some anti-monster aggression in downtown and so despite this being the most monster-populated city in the world most monsters chose to avoid the busier sections or moved in groups. Guilt twisted in me.

All my fault.

Sans seemed to be focusing on something down the street, as still as a statue. Like a cat that had spotted a mouse. I stepped close and he lifted a hand before motioning me closer. I peered past him towards a thronging group of humans holding signs and chanting.

In a college town it could be anything but considering the signs said things like, "Humans First" and "Bring Monsters To HUman Justice" I don't think it was one of those happy, feel good rallies. I looked to Sans, his eyelights dim and white, "Maybe we should rethink this?"

"you lookin' down on me, magey?" His eyelights didn't turn to me but I felt him tense.

"Not at all." Guilt weighed down on me, this was all my fault. Monsters and humans both were getting hurt because of me, "But it's dangerous for you with how riled people are. Maybe you should go ba-"

My shoulders impacted the brick of the closest building before I could finish the sentence. Sans was looming over me (he was only a few inches taller than me before?!) eyelights gone as his sockets stared down. I frowned up at him, refusing to be intimidated.

"i'm always in danger. things have been gettin' better for monsters its true but for every coupla dozen half-brained idiots who lose their prejudice they leave one spiteful, determined prick. people willin' to become a martyr to the cause, you get me?" His sharper incisors were bared as he spoke, something glowing flicking behind his teeth.

"the regular people aren't the problem, its the dedicated fuckwits who see themselves as the las' line of defense between humanity and monsters." He said 'monsters' as one would a slur, his eyelids dropping as his voice gained an extra ressonance.

He stopped then, sockets coming up as his head tilted away for a moment, "they're comin'." I looked over and he was right, I could hear the chanting and shuffling of footwear on pavement coming closer. The other end of the alleyway was a dud, another wall.

"Can't we shortcut?"

He smirked down at me, baring those sharp teeth as his eyelights came back and I realized they weren't white. Well, sometimes they were. Now? They were silvery-blue.

"and miss all the fun?"

"Sans!" I hissed up at him, grabbing his hoodie as he tried to walk into the street.

 

* * *

 

A fight sounded good. His anger and that strange set of feelings only the mage could inspire had his magic up and pounding in his bones. Ready to fight, ready for fun. Oh, he knew it wouldn't be smart and he would avoid combat unless he had to. He wasn't an idiot.

But seeing the mage try and protect him, bicker with him was quite entertaining even if it fed into those dangerous emotions. Pressing an hand to the wall he cornered her once more, "fine, magey." She was gripping his hoodie, body warm against his bones even through the air and clothing between them. Maybe it was her magic he was feeling, "glamour me."

Her face scrunched in confusion and he could see her consider it, "First of all, I'm not very good at glamouring. Second of all, no one has every glamoured a monster before. Something could go wrong."

"afraid?" There was a soft sneer in his voice, a challenge. His magic bubbled inside of him as he saw her take up that challenge but she was coquettish.

"You stupid bag of bones, it may not even work."

"you say the sweetest things. better find out, hurry, they're comin'." They were almost upon them and she hissed softly and reached up. Her fingertips pressed into his jaw, warm and soft and he hissed as her magic sank into him. It didn't hurt, but it shocked him how his own magic reacted. Latching onto her, pulling the spell from her almost faster than she could cast it.

White clouded his vision for a moment and he felt himself sag, resting his forearms on the wall and further trapping the mage. He felt dizzy, almost intoxicated as his magic sang at the contact of hers, burning through him like a fine whisky.

"S...Sans?" Her voice was weak then and he opened his eyes to look at her and show her his tell-tale smirk, "Oh shit."

"huh?"

* * *

 

 

His eyes were an ice blue, the skin under his eyes lined and red from poor quality sleep for too long. He was pale with dark, expressive brows and she watched the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smirked. He had a touch of scruff touching his chin and jaw. His hair was bright silver and messily tousled.

He looked like a languid, lazy incredibly hot man and I could feel my face flushing red.

"that good, huh?" He lifted a hand and looked at the flesh covering what used to be only bones.

"I fucked up."

"hm?" His brow lifted as he glanced at me, smirk fading a touch.

"You don't look like a human." He didn't! His pupils were a bit too narrow and regular people didn't have silver (fucking) hair. His fingertips caught a lock of my hair as he leaned in close, eyes locked on mine. Sapphire and glowing.

"what do I look like, then?" His breath was hot and smelled faintly of vinegar and spices. From the ketchup?

"A mage." He tensed at that before a chuckle vibrated from his chest that I now realized was pressed into my own. He still looked like Sans, his expression and features all screamed to the skeleton monster she had such a fractious relationship with.

He leaned in, eyes focusing on my lips and I reached up, pressing a hand over his mouth, "You realize you have the most annoying habit of flip-flopping on me?" His brow lifted and I could feel his huff of soft laughter against my skin, the question in his eyes.

"Trying to kill me one day, something you still haven't apologized for and then giving me looks like -that- the next." Reaching up he pulled my hand off his mouth and to the side so it once again cupped his jaw.

"what look am i givin' ya?" Voice soft and deep, resonant with magic as I felt his call to mine. He had pulled that glamour spell from me in a chaotic rush that had left me breathless, as if he needed the sensation of my magic sliding over his. Mingling. His blue eyes were heated and I could feel them catch onto my lips once more and sweep across them like a physical touch that left me shivering.

"Like you want to devour me." His smirk widened once more as he leaned closer.

"accurate."

The crowd passed us then, a few curious looks being given to us as Sans' expression hardened slightly as the chanting washed over us. His sclera went black and I pulled him down closer to me, fingers braiding on the back of his neck. His eyes widened in surprise, body pressed more firmly against mine.

"Your sclera went black. That's..." (Hot. That was hot.)

"my what?"

"The white part of your eyes." Understanding flickered in his gaze as he half-turned to shield me from the crowd. From their perspective we probably looked like a couple making out in a dingy alleyway (expanding my glimmering reputation one filthy alleyway at a time, NOT).

I tilted my head, looking past him to the alleyway entrance as I watched the crowd march past. A hot breath tickled my bared throat and I gasped before lips and -teeth- pressed into me. Hot and slick, his tongue dipped out to taste me and I felt my knees weaken at the sensation, a gasp pulled from my throat.

"Hmnff?!"

"can't pass up a target presented so willingly." His lips brushed me as he spoke, chest rumbling in a way my breasts found (WAY TOO) pleasing. My nails gently raked his neck as I reached up to tug his hair.

"B-behave! Sans, so help me I will knee you in the groin." My heart thudded in my chest and I could feel him zero in on my pulse point. He touched it with the tip of his tongue in a way that had me melting, magic singing between us so sweetly. He pulled away then, a soft (blue) blush dancing on his pale skin.

I knew my own face was red, my thoughts racing as I looked up at him. His eyes were so beautiful, his power was intoxicating. I had the feeling then that he hadn't fought me completely seriously then. He had come at me with killing intent but something had held him back. Wonder what it was?

"feisty." He purred as he pulled away, running a thumb over my flushed cheek. I swatted him away with a grumble, causing him to laugh as I looked away.

"Come on, let's go." Before he pins me down and I give him permission to do whatever he wants, which is 50% kill and 50% fuck. That would have been unpleasant with anyone else, but him?

This was intoxicating. Addictive. To know that I could throw myself at him with all of my power and it may up a coin toss who wins. My match. I tried to remember if I'd ever experienced lust like this before. Maybe once or twice on a smaller scale. I still didn't know much about him though except that he disliked humans, hated mages, loved his family and chugged ketchup. I was going to watch him, but it felt like I was supervising a bomb that could explode at any moment.

"so how long does this last, anyways?"

"I should be able to remove it easily later."

"good, don't want to startle pap and the others." He ran a hand up to run his fingers over his skull, only to look confused when his ended up running them through his hair instead. He pulled one of the longest locks in front of his face to see the color and I was happy to see his sclera was once again white. Feeling a faint something I looked over at my shoulder at the Anti-Monster rally that was winding their way around the corner. 

I felt the presence of several mages there but not strongly enough to pick them out from that chaotic crowd. I frowned, fingers reaching up to distractedly rub the sensation of heat and too-sharp teeth from my throat before following Sans as he turned to look at me curiously. Seeing what I was doing he smirked at me, eyes heating once more and I huffed at him. 

"come lioness, we must hunt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohohoho. So, Human Sans is pretty hot, huh? Or should I say, Mage Sans. Don't worry, Sans will be returning to his skeleton glory soon enough but it might not be so easy.


	12. Bandannas

Being stared at wasn't really an uncommon thing for a monster. Sans was rpetty used to it and he barely noticed these days. A lot of the time the stares were merely curious, I mean, the humans saw something in him that humans just weren't supposed to see outside of Halloween:

A skeleton.

Sure, a few times people had given him looks laden with more than -simple- curiosity. Laden with interest, romantic or otherwise. Humans that took monsters into their beds (quietly, of course) were becoming a bit of a thing.

Not that it mattered to him one way or the other, he wasn't a human-fucker. That said, it was highly unusual that he be stared at so openly by so many with undisguised interest. It would have freaked him out, but looking like this.

Ehh, he guess it was normal. He was pretty fucking hot after all. Magey seemed only mildly impressed at first but had acclimated and he was almost disappointed that she didn't really acknowledge the effect his transformation had on others. Even when the pair were stopped on the sidewalk by two smiling men who offered Sans their number and an open invitation to come see them perform at a club.

Fenella had simply watched with an enigmatic smile. He had to admit he was a little put out. It did weird him out a bit, all this human attention. It was flattering, to a point, but he didn't feel like -he- was being complimented so much as the mask he was currently wearing. Magey had assured him that his was him, fully him. She had cast and let the magic go as his own magic had sorta pulled the spell out in a rush. She had struggled to explain, looking surprised and a bit alarmed at how it'd taken to him.

Still, to see her get so flustered had been fucking satisfying, mn? After her performance in that alleyway he had expected her to look more irritated on him being hit on. He cast brilliant blue eyes to the storefront window near him, stopping to examine his appearance. It felt more honest than his real one, his emotions easier to read. The bags under his eyes from lack of sleep were stark in flesh, red.

"Sans." Magey spoke with a certain tone in her voice as she looked down the street, her fingers tugging his sleeve. A crowd of humans was surrounding a storefront and he could distantly hear angrily raised voices.

"let's check it out?" He started to stride forward but strong fingertips in the crook of his arm stopped him and he tilted his head to look at Fenella. She was watching the crowd carefully before looking at him, gauging something.

Was she worried about him? He snorted softly and tugged his arm away, "come on magey, you know i'm the lazy sort. we'll go take a peek then keep looking for our elusive void-demon." The mage huffed softly and then nodded, something in her eyes. She walked at his side, not falling back or racing ahead.

Hah, funny. He itched to fight her, again and again until they saw for certain which of them was truly the most powerful. He wanted to bite her, pin her down and feel those curves under his bones and mark her.

Again and again.

Feeling something shift he stopped, trying to place that odd sensation. It was like when his magic went out of control when he was in- His eyes widened, panic flooding him as he realized what it was. This glamour wasn't skin deep?! Confusion, heat and embarressment flooded him in a chaotic jumble, his magic burning just under his... skin? It feels so weird!

Shit. Did she notice? He glanced at her. She didn't appear to notice...?

* * *

 

What was up with his magic? I suppose he was angry, I was becoming relatively furious myself. I could hear the shouted anti-monster propaganda from here. The humans were clustered around a monster bakery, someone having thrown a brick through the window. The window was now covered in... was that spider web? Hanging back for a moment I weighed my options. There wasn't a lot I could do, but I couldn't just stand here. There were probably both humans and monsters trapped inside.

Looking around, I snatched a baseball bat from one of the bandana-wearing protestors and dodged their angry hands (and violent cursing) as I pushed my way through the throng. People jostled and tugged at my clothes but I wouldn't let them stop me, not from doing the right thing. I had put so much fucking energy into doing the right thing recently.

I hadn't fought against the monsters that imprisoned me and took away my magic. I had broken the biggest mage taboo. I had fought for them once and spared the life of a monster who tried to kill me (and then subsequently felt me up in an alley). This was simply one more stepping stone.

Though part of me remembered that old saying, 'The way to hell is paved with good intentions.' Fuck, if that's true then I'll gladly walk that path. Better to skip, humming a tune, straight to hell than betray my conviction. I didn't check if Sans was following me, I simply pushed my way through, holding the bat with both hands.

Finally I stumbled to a spot just in front of the shop, the people behind and closest to me cheering. They thought I was going to take the bat to the monster storefront, but stopped as I turned and stared them down. Resting the head of the bat on the ground I rested my hands on top of the pommel and stared them down.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, bitch?"

"Making my stance known. Don't you all have better things to do than openly display such hatred?"

The one I'd stolen the bat from, a beanie-wearing punk with a skull bandana charged forward, "You dumb bitch, are you a traitor to the human race?! Dont'chu know them monsters are the ones behind the murders?!"

"Do you think if the police had -any- proof of that what so ever then the monsters would already be in custody?" I squeezed the bat pommel and stared down the man as another spoke up, voice hoarse from yelling.

"Not if that damned goat king protects 'em!"

"If King Asgore had that sort of political clout don't you think monsters would have gotten their rights years ago?" Shaking my head, I sighed. I knew this was futile. These people weren't working on logic but fear. Fear drove their every action. These were idiots who thought they had a righteous cause, an enemy to protect their families from. It was all idiocy.

Something flew through the air, and I jerked, as if to dodge and a shadow stepped in front of me. Sans had caught the bottle with ease, his eyes staring down the crowd that had been ready to surge forwards. Something about his expression caused the crowd to hesitate, some stepping back. He tossed the beer bottle to the ground and stepped on it, crushing it.

"you all lookin' to have a r e a l **b a d t i m e** ?" Pft. I kind of wanted to laugh, anything to diffuse the shiver than ran through me. Fear and maybe a touch of something else. Fuck, I wanted to fight with him again. Pity it probably wouldn't be safe for him to join the Trials, with the one HP. Maybe he'd tea-

The train of thought broke off as I saw more figures struggling through the angrily shouting crowd, words like 'Race traitor!' and 'Monster whore!' ringing through the air like stones. I raised the bat to strike at the handful of people who burst from the throng but they weren't looking at me. They ran next to Sans and I and then spread their arms, protecting the store front.

Sans looked at them in shock, head swaying left and right as more people worked their way through the throng to form a human barrier between the protestors and the storefront. Some of them wore bandanas, but they were all blue and pink. No, more a periwinkle? Some wore their bandanas around their upper arm or neck, some in their hair. Each and every one of the people protecting the store was wearing one though.

I could hear shouting coming from the back of the throng and in the distance, police sirens. Someone had called the cops. It didn't take long for the rioters to flee in the face of actual consequences so I tossed the bat to the ground. I looked to Sans, he was staring at the nearest human, his eyes locked on their bandana. His face was carefully blank, though something glimmered in his eyes.

"Sans?"

He jerked up, jolting from his thoughts as he looked at me, chest heaving once before he looked away, "fuck, they really messed up muffet's, huh?" He looked at the storefront, tugging at the collar of his hoodie as he did so.

 

* * *

 

Humans had come and helped. Humans wearing Frisk's colors. He couldn't believe it, he wouldn't have if he hadn't been there. He had panicked a bit when the mage had tore ass off through the crowd with that bat. He was sure she was going to get her face beat in.

He had hesitated from the shock of it. It killed him that he had hesitated, even for a moment. But, he thought bitterly, that was kind of his thing wasn't it? To wait and watch, to mire himself in cynicism and nihilism and act only when forced to.

But then he had chased after her, pushing through that crowd of vile humans to get to her only to see her standing between the violent rioters and the storefront wielding that bat. She had looked like a knight, Paps would have been so excited.

How many times would she continue to surprise him? How many times would she continue to step up where a lesser person, be they human/mage/monster, would step back and throw their hands up. That familiar twisting of guilt churned his insides as he caught that bottle. Her back was so strong, _she_ was so strong. He envied her strength. Had he been like _this_ so long ago? Back before all the hate and pessimism had filled him up till nothing else remained?

He tried to remember a time before and found it to be so faded in his mind he didn't think he could. He cracked that beer bottle under his foot and looked up at the crowd, feeling something flicker into life in his soul.

He didn't know what it meant and it scared him, but he found himself growing tired of being afraid.

He looked over to the bandanna-wearing humans as they talked among themselves, a few having gone into the store to check on people and let them know it was safe. A few had even commandeered brooms and dustpans to clean up the broken glass.

Fuck.

_It all pissed him off._

They acted so freely, no hesitation. How? The mage... no. Fenella was talking with a few of them, writing something down on a piece of paper before nodding in thanks. No more hesitating. He'd _try_. Maybe.

"what was that all about?" He peered at the paper, trying his best to hide the emotions that warred in him every time he was around her. She was so bad for him, a horrible influence. Part of him wanted to walk away from her, never see her again. Use any excuse he could come up so that he'd never have to see her face again, have to watch her do things that left him so confused. He swallowed thickly, that ever present smirk increasing as she glanced at him. 

Fuck, he was in trouble.

"It's a Discord channel where they organize."

"the hell is a discord?"

"A text and voice chat, popular with the younger people." At his scoff she glanced at him curiously, head tilting.

"you sure an old lady like you can fit in with the younguns'?" Her face went a bit pink as she huffed and puffed, stopping just short of stomping her foot in indignation as amusement burned through him. 

"I'm not old! Some mages live a very long time, it depends on how powerful they are." Her voice was canted low to prevent anyone from hearing. She watched his brow lift as he placed his hands in his pockets, slouching a bit as his head tilted at her. 

"oh? how old do you think you'll live?"

"If I don't fall in battle, I'm hoping to live to a thousand or so. A good, round number. The oldest mage I think is around two thousand, or so they say." She looked momentarily contemplative and Sans worked hard to school his features. Mages were like boss monsters then, they could live as long as they had the magic burning bright in them. It almost wasn't fair but something in him lifted. 

She would live a long, long time. _If_ she stayed safe. Remembering the way she stepped in front of that crowd suddenly had him breaking out into a cold sweat. No one was going to kill his mage. _She was his to kill_.


	13. Forgotten Burgers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile, the holiday season kinda kicked my ass. I'm also sorry my last chapter wasn't up to my regular standards, I was very sleep deprived when I wrote it. Hopefully I can get a chapter out every week or so from now on.

I looked over at Sans as we continued walking down the street, Muffets falling away into the distance. I could amost feel that primal shift in the air away from hatred and bigotry, as if a clean wind had wiped the scent of it from the air leaving only a tenuous peace. His eyes were downcast, half-closed as his white hair shadowed them. Pensive. That ever-present smirk was faded but tense, as were his shoulders.

He was a bit easier to read with flesh instead of whatever his magic had been mimicking before. Bone? Bone but not. It was too malleable to really be called bone, but it was magic...

Ok, sometimes monsters were what I felt to be unnecessarily complex. Ahh well. I had my own thoughts rattling in my head, of course but I could almost see the weight of current events pulling Sans' shoulders even further down. I pressed my lips together as I weighed options.

I could flash him my tits. That would be both funny and mood-lifting if the alleyway frisk was any indication. Alas, I didn't feel the need to get arrested for indecent exposure today. Maybe tomorrow. (Plus there was something to be said about protecting that glimmering reputation. Right? Right guys? Sigh.)

My eyes scanned the road, littered with trash here and there from the rioters but not too bad. A trashcan knocked over here, a broken parking meter there. Small damages each on their own but every one adding to the miserable story being played out in real time. Something I'd seen before, unfortunately. Riots weren't so uncommon amongst humankind.

Mages didn't really have the ability, though sometimes she wished that was an option. No, if mages got angry en masse it usually led to covert fighting or assassinations. Some of which I had participated in. I waited for the twist in my gut, the guilt like the variety I got when it came to the monsters.

Nothing. Not a single, solitary twinge. My own eyes flicked down to the sidewalk, "Hey." I felt him shift next to me, felt the way his magic perked up. I could feel it against my skin, why? Sure one in awhile I'd feel it from another mage, especially before battle or when emotions ran high or... well, more intimate moments.

Was it a monster thing? My eyes lifted to see that he was staring down at me curiously, eyes still half-lidded but this time it wasn't in brooding thoughts but... Languid. Smirking. Either his mask was back in place or he'd dispelled the thoughts that had plagued him, "We could go get lunch, or grab lunch for everyone and go back. I'd like to.." Was this wise?

He leaned closer, expression curious, "hm? go on magey."

"Would you like to spar?"

His eyes widened fractionally, smirk dimming for a moment in surprise before widening to a feral baring of teeth, "eager to get smashed into the dirt by me? kinky, magey."

"You wish." I brushed off the comment easily, a chuckle rolling through me, "You just seem in need of some exercise."

"you fat shaming me?" His voice was laced with humor as he motioned to his current form. Open blue hoodie with furred trim, white plain tshirt. None of which hid the fact he was solid and normal, almost thin. I glanced down and when I looked up his eyes were flickering with amusement.

I scoffed at him quietly, reaching out to gently pinch his side near his waist. The contact make him yelp and leap away, and now I was the one amused, "You're ticklish? I didn't see that coming at all."

"i'm not! ya jus' caught me by surprise!" His words slurred with embarressment, judging by the blue he was turning around the cheeks. His slippers scuffed against the ground as he sped up a bit, shoulders hunching as he buried his head into the depths of his hoodie.

I laughed quietly and followed him.

Half an hour later we were both carrying a rather alarming amount of food from a well-known burger joint and had 'shortcut' back to Toriel's cottage in the woods. The scars of the battle were still present, hell I could even see where Papyrus had slamed me into the ground. I winced, and wuold have touched the still-healing bruises if my hands weren't full.

Sans stopped and I almost ran into his back, stopping just in time and taking a step back as he swung around, "you should take the glamour off now, magey. i don't want to freak out my bro." Dropping the bags at Sans' feet I looked at him closely.

"You are right." My own glamour fell away and I shifted my shoulders as I looked at the spellwork I had laid on him. Or tried to, it seemed to have -sunk- into him where on me or another mage it would laid on the skin, visible to those who knew how to look, "That's..."

"what?" His tone was a bit tense as he looked down at me, his fingers reaching up to touch his bangs, rubbing a lock between thumb and forefinger, "somethin' caught in here?"

"No, just... shhh for a moment." I shushed him, flapping a hand and caused him to snort at me. Reaching out a hand, back to his jawline where the spell had first been placed, I tried to -pull-. It started to slide off of him, ready to unravel like someone plucking at a loose bit of yarn on a sweater. And then it stuck. I froze, feeling sweat form on the back of my neck. (Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.)

I tried again and he winced this time, "that feels weird, would you hurry up? foods gettin' cold."

"Sans." He stopped fingering his hair, eyes falling down on mine. Sapphire and ruby, "Remember how I said no one had ever glamoured a monster before?"

"yeah?" Voice hesitant, almost flippant before he froze, "wait." It was a command, his fingers curling into a fist as he tensed, sclera slowly fading from white to grey to-

"Don't get mad."

" **w a i t**."

"It's not coming off." I swear, hand on heart, I heard his patience crack like a glass plate.

* * *

 

Toriel looked down at her cellphone once more, to Sans' text that they were bringing back food and taking a break to strategize on the whole 'finding the errant void demon' thing. Humming softly in conern she checked the timestamp. They really should have been back by now, she was starting to get concerned. The TV was playing in the background, a local reporter detailing the unrest that was stewing in the downtown.

Her fingered hovered over the call button as her mind swayed back and forth in internal argument. Surely she was indulging in too much paranoia, but was there such a thing these days? Caution was needed-

And thats when an explosion rattled her windowpanes and despite everything the only thought that sprang forth was, 'Again?' in the world-weariest of tones.

* * *

 

  
Platforms of pure ice formed as I leapt straight up, landing on it as magic sunk into bones, muscle and sinew to strengthen them as I sprang off of one platform a half second before it was disintegrated by a skulled head death beam. Fuck those things, seriously! Sans needed a nerf.

"Sans I'm serious, I'm not kidding." Sliding along the magical-circle adorned ice platform, heels gritting as my clothes dissolved and were replaced by my battle attire. I peered over the edge of the floating platform before jerking back just in time to save myself from another beam. (He's not kidding, however)

"you little shit, magey!" Sans didn't sound angry, but that made it all the more frightening. From my quick glances I knew his left eye was burning, his right closed.

"In my defense I warned you it might not work well!" Another platform, another split-second leap away as the beam shattered the one I had been standing on. Looking around I spotted a hefty branch on the ground and made a tugging motion with it. It rattled, shifted and then flew through the air. Catching it deftly I ran my hand along it, using magic to sear it into the shape I wanted. Blade-like but no edge, just a nice hefty piece of wood with no extra bits hanging off.

"yeah well it worked a little too well, didn't it?! how am I supposed to show my face to-" Another beam shattered the platform, searing my skin as I fell. It had been a near miss and I got the impression he had pulled it. Falling through the air, surrounded by shards of glass-like ice and mist, I hefted the stick-turned-excalibur in front of me. I saw the flared of amusement in his eyes as he raised a hand.

"this trick again? don't get boring on me now." He raised a hand negligently and the void opened, another skull appearing, yellow-blue flickering eyes looking up. The beam shot out, the air vibrating from the power of it as it crashed through her. Sans' eye widened, having expected her to dodge or something as I had so often before.

The magical reflection broke and shattered into yet more shards of ice, glimmering through the air. A shattering sound came as I broke the ice barrier that had been camoflauging me, swinging my stick (of ferocity +1). His eye flicked towards me, still wide, still burning, but his smile increased as a shock went through my arm.

The stick-sword had been stopped a few inches from him by bones that had thrust up from the ground, his hand reaching out to tap the wooden stick, "nice, but a chunk of wood? really?" I breathed in, one deep lungful before smiling. I leapt back, a pane of ice appearing behind me, revolving slowly in the air. My back hit it and as it revolved I vanished like I had stepped through a doorway. More and more panes of ice appeared, all spinning slowly.

"Feels like we need some music, huh?"

"i've been meanin' to ask this, but why do your clothes change like that?"

 

 

* * *

 

Sans' hand lifted as he directed bones and Gaster Blasters, breaking the spinning panes of ice. He was uncomfortably attuned to her magic, though at the moment it seemed to be spread out like a mist, concentrated into these funhouse mirrors of hers. His eye shifted from pane to pane as he destroyed them, waiting, searching. Her voice seemed to come from nowhere when she finally answered him.

"Regular clothing doesn't hold up well to the sort of weapons mages have access to, and eventually fighting half-naked gets rather drafty. All mages learn how to make clothes out of pure magic, it gives us a bit of a defense boost."

"oh really? maybe you should try taking a gaster blaster straight on? just to test it, of course." He snorted softly, stuffing his hand back into his hoodie pocket as sweat beaded on his skin. He had to hurry and coerce her to remove the glamour before anyone saw him like this. As those odd ice mirrors spun he could feel a cold mist rolling off them in waves, causing the sweat to chill him. It made for an interesting feeling when his insides felt so fucking hot.

Movement caught the corner of his eye, Fenella leaping from the ice as it spun to face him as if she had been there all along. Her ruby eyes shone with determination as she dashed across the short distance between them, cute little stick pulling to the foreground as her lips curved in a wild smile.

Fuck, that was hot. His magic pounded just under his skin, heating him as he felt his left eye burned hotter and hotter still. Bloodthirsty little thing, but she was playing. For now. Two Gaster Blasters formed to each side of him, fanged maws opening wide.

Something touched his neck, cold and hard and a shiver rolled through him as the Gaster Blasters stuttered, pausing. The image in front of him, Fenella, smirked and vanished with a crack as a voice purred in his ear.

"I thought you didn't fall for the same trick twice, Sans?" The sound of his name on her lips, in that breathy tone had his body tightening in odd ways, insides coiling pleasantly as he slowly turned his head, right eye opening to look.

That damned fucking stick was pressed to his neck, Fenella standing behind him with a devious little smirk, rubies shining and face flushed. He could knock her away with bones, chase her away with Gaster Blasters. Do anything to defend himself, but he found himself completely transfixed by the sight of her. The wood slid against his neck, a long draw as she chuckles. The sound sent a shiver through him, combined with that odd cold touch.

_Fuck._

"SANS?! IS THAT YOU?!"

_Double **fuck.**_

Papyrus was standing with the others just outside of Toriel's cottage, his hands raised to half-cover his mouth as Sans stared up at him. Raising a hand, the Gaster Blasters vanished as he waved lazily, "sup bro?" even as sweat slid down his skin. Even Fenella looked a bit shocked, frightened almost as she turned and looked at the assembled monsters.

That was the first time he had seen her look even slightly frightened, despite everything tha had happened. Why?

The group ran forward, Papyrus nearly tripping over a forgotten bag of takeout as he ran to his brother. Hands caught Sans' shoulders as Papyrus shook him, "WHAT HAPPENED?! SANS YOU LOOK LIKE A HUMAN BUT I CAN STILL SENSE YOU." Papyrus looked over to the mage before frowning at Sans, almost pouting, "AND YOU WERE FIGHTING AGAIN! I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL FRIENDS NOW?"

"we were just playin' bro, i promise." Sans looked over to Fenella, eyes filled with 'this is all your fault so say something'. The mage blinked before looking up at Papyrus, leaning on her wooden 'blade'.

"I asked Sans to spar with me, the way he looks it my fault." She winced, shoulders sinking for a moment, expecting someone to yell at her it seemed. Toriel walked up, looking curious and faintly admonishing as experienced eyes looked over Sans.

"You tried to glamour him, did you not?" The Queen looked over to Fenella, her hand cupping her chin as claws ruffled through fur contemplatively. Fenella nodded and sighed softly.

"I did warn him it might interact badly with the magic he's made of." Toriel lofted a brow at Sans, who felt sweat sliding down his forehead to his cheek.

"I've seen this before. The glamour spell gets absorbed too easily by the magic that makes us, sucked up like we would ambient magic. It lays on your skin but with us it embeds too deeply making it hard to remove." Fenella stared at Toriel in shock, mouth working for a moment before she caught Sans' entertained smirk. Her mouth shut with a click of teeth as she spoke with surprise.

"You know of this magic, Miss Toriel?" Toriel nodded at the question, her eyes narrowing as she leaned closer to Sans to examine the spellwork.

"I'm one of the few monsters that actually remembers the mages before- mmmn." She trailed off, ever the gentle politician. Motioning Fenella closer, Toriel pointed to something, "You tried to unravel it from the beginning, right? Try doing it from the 'end'."

Fenella leaned closer, tucking her hair back as her eyes focused on what Toriel was pointing at. Sans' breath caught as Fenella got closer, catching Toriel's attention. As the queen peered at him, he froze and his smile increased, trying to throw her off. By the loft of her brow and sudden, matching smirk, he had a feeing it didn't work.

Then there was a wrenching tug, the feeling of something alien but not entirely unpleasant uncoiling from his magic and he promptly fell on his ass in surprise. Paps gasped softly and looked down at him as Fenella leaned back up, looking relieved. Her fingertips were pressed together as if holding a thread before her fingertips rubbed together and he felt the last remnants of some spellwork vanish.

Pulling his hands from his pockets he looks down at them, pure white and segmented. Back to his regular, plain old self. Flexing his fingers he was bowled over by Papyrus' very enthusiastic hug, his brother going a mile a minute about how it had been "WEIRD BUT KIND OF COOL IN A SCARY WAY" to see Sans as a 'human'.

Sans looked up to see Fenella gathering the takeout, laughing at Toriel's tuttering how unhealthy it was even as Frisk was signing madly that they hadn't had this particular treat in forever. Toriel rolled her eyes skyward with a sigh before laughing as she escorted Fenella into the cottage.

"So what was that, punk? She just randomly spelled you human?" Undyne was standing next to him on the other side, arms crossed over her stomach.

"nah, i asked her to. we got into a tight spot and it felt like the right thing to do."

"YOU LOOKED REALLY NEAT." Papyrus still looked a bit weirded out, though his positivity was endless. Really, his bro was so cool. Undyne still looked slightly unconvinced, looking down at Sans and searching his expression. Alphys stepped up next to Undyne, a hand reaching out and resting on the fishwoman's hip as Alphys watched the trio walk into the cottage.

"Still, it would b-be useful if we could figure out a way to use that technique to k-keep other monsters safe." Alphys tilted her head, looking thoughtful but jumped as Undyne snorted softly. She spoke gently but firmly as her hand strokes the head of her girlfriend.

"You really think the more paranoid humans wouldn't blow a gasket if they found monsters could hide so easily?" Alphys eyes went to the ground, shoulders slumping as she sighed and nodded.

"Y-you are probably right."

Undyne bent and hugged her lovely girlfriend, squeezing her with careful tenderness before looking to Sans, "I saw a bit of your fight with her. She's got a lot of tricks doesn't she?"

"yeah." Sans smiled to himself as he stood slowly, not even bothering to brush himself off as he started to walk towards the cottage. He could smell the fries they were reheating.

Undyne and Alphys watched him go with surprise, Sans had sounded almost dreamy. The pair looked at eachother before knowing smirks crossed their faces, "No, it couldn't be. That punk..."

"H-he's always hated humans. B-but she's n-not a human!" Alphys' eyes glimmered as her hands rose to cover her mouth, glancing to see if Sans had heard her but he was already in pursuit of those fries and the nearest bottle of ketchup.

"But he said that one time we got him drunk that he wasn't a human-fucke-ow!" Undyne hissed a bit as Alphys lightly swatted her on the hip, smirking playfully. Alphys huffed softly.

"Don't say it s-so crudely! B-but you are right. W-we'll just have to w-watch and see, right?" The pair grinned and walked to the cottage just in time to see Frisk grab the bottle of ketchup from Sans, holding it above their head with one hand and holding Sans off with the other.


End file.
